Stranger Then Fiction
by norrific
Summary: Oh my God, you're caught between a vampire and a wolf. You know who that makes you' 'Don't say it, Caroline.' 'Bella Swan.' 'I told you not to say it.' 'Come on Bonnie, how could I not say it.'
1. Chapter 1

**I disclaim. I own nothing.**

**AN: This story takes place almost immediately after the episode 'Fool me once'. There will be a bit of retconning that will make more sense after the third chapter.**

**Spoilers: Everything up to 'fool me once'.**

**Chapter 1**

It started the day Sheila Bennett was laid to rest. Bonnie, her granddaughter, the child everyone could agree had been the love of Sheila's life was no where to be found. Outside the circle of family and close friends, six teenagers stood. Their heads respectfully bowed, tears rolling down a few cheeks as their eyes glanced around worriedly for their missing friend.

"What did she say when you spoke to her this morning?" Was whispered softly.

"I haven't spoken to her in days. She won't take my calls, she refuses to see me. She-" Broke off on a sob, collapsing in tears against her boyfriend's chest.

"Well, we can't just let her go. We have to find her."

The cemetery was empty now, save for the six, everyone else going back to the Bennett home to find comfort in food and company.

"We know that Caroline. Why do you think I asked you all to stay?"

"Come down off the high horse, Elena. I don't know what you did, but I know you're the reason she'd not speaking to any of us."

If possible, Elena Gilbert's face lost even more color. She stared wide eyed at her usually perky friend. Caroline Forbes had never been what anyone would consider observant or overly caring. But Bonnie was her best friend and it was a friendship she held to very tightly. And below that was a low grade resentment towards Elena. And the combination of the two always made her hyper aware of any discord between Elena and Bonnie.

"You don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't I."

"Hey," Always the calm in any storm, Matt Donovan stepped between his current and ex-girlfriend. Unable to remember a time when he didn't know the three girls, he'd been cursed at a young age to be the peace keeper between them. "This isn't helping Bonnie."

"I can't believe her dad's not even worried about her." Jeremy Gilbert stood just outside the group, gazing around the sunlit cemetery as if he expected to see Bonnie walk up at any moment. "He has to know she's hurting. How could he just let her wander off like that?"

Everyone, with the possible exception of Tyler Lockwood, had been floored when Bonnie's father informed them that Bonnie had left their home at dawn and had not returned.

"He didn't even know she wasn't here until we told him." Noticing that her little brother's eyes settled sadly on the headstone that marked their parents final resting place, Elena reached out to clasp his hand in hers. "I think we should split up. Who ever finds her first should call me-"

"Why should they call you?" Caroline demanded, angrily shrugging off Matt's restraining hand.

"Because I'm her best friend and I understand what she's going through."

"I'm her best friend too."

"But you don't know-"

"Don't tell me what I don't know."

"That's enough." Stoic, brooding, and eternally seventeen, Stefan Salvatore didn't even need to raise his voice to gather everyone's attention. "We split up. We find Bonnie." The way he said it, reminded everyone that that was what was important. When they all nodded, he pulled Elena to the side. "I'm going to go alone. I'll be able to find her faster that way."

"You should call Damon."

Stefan made sure to school his features in a blank expression. "I don't think that's a good idea."

"We need all the help we can get." Elena pressed. "The only person able to find her as quickly as you is him. Please."

Unable to deny her anything, Stefan nodded. "Okay. Jeremy, go with Elena?"

Jeremy nodded. He watched at Matt pulled Caroline to his truck, not entirely surprised when Tyler moved in a direction opposite them. "Why to be a friend, Lockwood."

Tyler stopped dead in his tracks, as did everyone else. Matt stepping forward, fully prepared to stop whatever confrontation that was in the works. "What the hell are you talking about Gilbert?"

"Bonnie needs our help and you're just bailing. Why'd you even come today?"

Matt, who hadn't even been aware that Tyler wasn't following him until now, looked at his friend with disappointment displayed clearly on his face. "Dude, where _are_ you going?"

"To look for Bonnie." He pointed in the direction he'd been heading. "This way." And with that he hunched his shoulders inside his coat and continued on his way.

Everyone shared confused looks, but said nothing as they continued to their respective cars.

* * *

Damon Salvatore thought there was much better ways in which he could be spending his Saturday morning. And just because he couldn't think of a single one, didn't mean they didn't exist. So he allowed himself to be bamboozled by his brother into searching for the little witch. He decided to do it as the crow, it was easier. And this way he could convince himself that he was merely out for a fly over, if he came across the little witch he could let his brother know, get a few points with Elena, and be on his way.

It's not like he was actually concerned for the little witch. Maybe he was a little intrigued by her. The night they opened the tomb she'd been magnificent; just outrageously beautiful in her power. And after, when he learned of Katherine's betrayal, he found comfort in Bonnie's pain. Comfort in knowing that someone was hurting more then he was. At least that's what he told himself on the nights he perched outside her window, soaking in her tears.

He realized his instincts were off when he set in a tree opposite Sheila Bennett's home and watched as Mutt and Caroline pulled up. The grandmother's house was too obvious, if they thought of that, it would be the last place Bonnie would go. He arrived at the school just before Stefan. Caught sight of Elena and her brother coming out of their home. He thought of going down there, playing the concerned friend while reminding Elena that he was hurting too. But at this point, he was curious. Where could the little witch have gotten to?

Damon couldn't say for sure what had him heading back to the cemetery, but it was there he found her. She was kneeling besides the fresh grave, pain etched in every line of her face. But she wasn't alone. Sitting besides her, knees drawn up to his chest was the Lockwood kid.

As he watched, the fingers she'd twisted together in her lap reached out shakily to the freshly turned dirt. The sky darkened, clouds blotting out the sun. As her fingers sank into the earth, thunder clapped violently in the distance. And as the first tear trailed down Bonnie's cheek, the sky opened up, and rain began to pour down. Without so much as flinching, Lockwood shrugged out of his coat and draped it around Bonnie's shoulders. When Damon would have expected, and preferred, him to move back Lockwood kept his arms around the little witch. Holding her together when it looked as if the sobs escaping her body would break her in two.

"I found her." On the other end of the line, Damon could hear Elena's sigh of relief. "She's at the cemetery."

"Damon, thank you so much. We'll be right there. Can you stay with her, please, just until we get there."

"Yeah," Damon kept his eyes on Bonnie. Some people wore their sadness well, Bonnie Bennett was one of them. She was radiant. "Anything for you, Elena."

Stefan, naturally, was the first one back. The rain had let up, Tyler had backed away from Bonnie, but his coat was still around her shoulders. Damon wasn't entirely sure how to classify the look on his brother's face, but was impatient for him to go over and break up whatever the hell was going on between Bonnie and Mr. All American.

"You're powers of tracking have slipped little brother."

Stefan barely spared his brother a glance. "I saw you fly over the school. Where all did you go before finding her here?"

It occurred to both brothers that even now they couldn't smell her, couldn't quite make out her heartbeat, or sense her in any way. But before Damon could open his mouth and question it, Elena, Jeremy, Caroline, and Matt rushed up to them.

"How long has he been here?" Jeremy asked as he eyed Tyler suspiciously.

"Better question is how long has _he _been here." Caroline glared daggers at Damon.

"He's here to help."

Caroline rolled her eyes. "Like hell he is, Elena. Get him out of here, now."

"Hey, I found her." Damon stopped himself just short of declaring Bonnie his, like a child who found a toy and claimed it as their own.

"I think maybe we should all leave." This statement from Matt earned him killer looks from the two girls. "Look, it's obvious Bonnie didn't want any of us to know where she was. It's probably why Tyler didn't call. We wanted to know if she was okay, she is. And she's not alone. I think we should just leave her be for awhile."

"And leave her with Tyler Lockwood. The guy has the sensitivity and compassion of a rock."

"Jeremy." Elena put a reassuring hand on her brother's arm. "I'm not leaving here without Bonnie. The rest of you can go."

Caroline gave an indignant snort. "Like hell-"

"Then we'll leave!"

Everyone turned to see Bonnie and Tyler standing besides Sheila's grave. Bonnie looked positively elfin in Tyler's jacket. And there was something about the way he stood besides her; on the balls of his feet like a lion ready to pounce should she give the order.

"Bonnie." Elena rushed forward, but pulled up short when Bonnie took a step in retreat.

"What's he doing here?" More then she wanted anything before, Bonnie wanted to send Damon Salvatore up in flames. Wouldn't that be justice, wouldn't that be perfect; to light him up here, just a few feet from his latest victim. She'd dance on his ashes, just as him being here was a mockery to her grandmother's memory.

"I called him." Stefan spoke up before Elena could. She may not see what feeling sympathy for Damon would do to her relationship with Bonnie, but he could. Bonnie was too full of grief and anger to understand Elena's sympathies and if confronted with them now she may never forgive her friend. "We were worried, thought the more people we had looking for you the better."

"I wasn't lost. And I don't want him here." Bonnie started to step forward, green eyes flashing violently, but any forward progress was halted by Tyler. The other's may have missed it, but she could feel the finger he hooked in the belt of his coat to pull her back. "Get out of here." The ground beneath their feet began to tremble. Sensing the danger, birds began to flee from the surrounding trees. "You're not welcome here!"

Elena and Caroline rushed forward both more concerned for their friend then their own safety to move away from her. Elena grabbed her hands, as Caroline framed her tear stained face in her hands.

"Bonnie, sweetie look at me. Don't look at him, look at me."

Tyler moved behind her, hands staying at his side even as he pressed his brow to the back of her head. His words so soft, Elena and Caroline barely caught them. "Forget about him, Bunny. Let him go."

Damon started to step forward, started to demand who the mongrel thought he was to dismiss Damon Salvatore, but before he could even open his mouth Stefan stopped him.

"Don't, Damon. Just this once…don't."

He tried not to look, but he still saw the way Bonnie broke down in Caroline's arms. He didn't know if it was the grief or the fatigue from the powerful displays she'd put on, but the little witch seemed to just collapse.

Fixing a careless smirk on his face, he gave his brother a bored shrug. "Fine, I was leaving anyway. Got an ex I need to find and destroy." No one was paying any attention to him anyway, didn't even notice when he sped away, only to perch himself on a tree nearby.

After a few minutes they all started away. Jeremy and Matt leading the way to their cars, with Stefan bringing up the rear. Caroline and Elena flanked Bonnie, sharing her weight and practically carrying her out. From his position amongst the trees, Damon saw the witch reach back and brush the tips of her fingers with Lockwood's.

And that's when Damon knew. As he took to the sky, he made the decision to keep a closer eye on the little witch. For Elena. Because it was clear to him that in her grief, Bonnie was going to make several bad decisions.

* * *

"You should just stay away from Damon." Stefan spoke quietly, eyes scanning the open quad in search of Bonnie. It was the Monday after the funeral, no one had seen Bonnie. Elena was practically making herself sick with worry.

"Stefan-"

"No," He looked down at the girl he'd fallen for instantly. He loved her, loved her more then he thought possible. So he only wanted for her, what she wanted for herself. Bonnie was her best friend, her one constant, and the last thing he wanted was for her to lose that. "This has nothing to do with me or how I feel about my brother. I'm doing this for you."

"Damon needs-"

"Is not on the list of Bonnie's concerns right now. Elena," He ran a gentle hand down her hair, before cupping her cheek in his palm. "Right now, Bonnie blames Damon for her grandmother's death. Don't you realize that it'll be a short trip from blaming Damon to blaming us."

"Bonnie…"

"Isn't thinking straight. Is completely incapable of thinking past her grief. And the fact is she and Sheila were there that night because of Damon, because of us. They broke the shield, kept it open, for us. And now her grandmother is dead." He heard the caw of the crow, locked eyes with his brother on the school ledge. "Stay away from him, let her hate _him_. I promise you, it's for the best."

With a defeated sigh, Elena dropped her head against Stefan's chest. "You're right. I just thought they could help each other. Damon lost someone he loved that night, too."

"What did you just say?"

Elena jumped out of Stefan's arms at the sound of Bonnie's angry voice. She'd never seen Bonnie like this. Never thought her best friend could look at her with such contempt. "Bonnie,"

"Did you just compare me losing my Grams to Damon losing that whore!"

_Don't, Damon, don't_. Stefan chanted mentally, but the warning went unheeded as Damon flew from the school only to appear moments later. He should have known, if his brother was a master at anything it was making a bad situation worse.

"What's going on guys?"

"Damon?" Elena turned to him, immediately recognizing the sadness in his eyes. Unable to stop herself from reaching out and placing a comforting hand on his chest. "What are you doing here?"

With a pained sigh, Stefan closed his eyes and waited for explosion. And he didn't have to wait long at all.

"Elena!"

"Ow," Elena pulled her hand away from Damon as if burned. Turning wide eyed to Bonnie, she realized she was.

"Because of him," Bonnie spoke the words slowly, ignoring Damon completely and looking to the sister she was willing to die for. "Because he's been walking around like some ignorant love sick bitch for more then a century, my grandmother is dead. What did he lose, tell me Elena, please enlighten me on what he lost that compares to that?"

"Katherine-"

"Isn't dead!" Bonnie shouted, drawing the attention of everyone on the quad. "She. Didn't. Want him. She recognized him for the insecure, dickless child that he was and bailed."

"Careful, little witch." Damon took a step forward, eyes going dangerously black.

"Fuck you!" Bonnie snapped. "I'm not afraid of you. How can I be afraid of you after seeing how pathetic you really are? You're a joke. Katherine knew it. As evident by the fact that she was fucking you and your brother at the same time. Emily knew it; she tricked you into a pact she had no intention of upholding. Anna knew it, she and Katherine probably had a good laugh about it. God, even Elena feels sorry for you."

"Bonnie," Stefan spoke before Elena could. "That's not fair."

"Fair! Fair! Is it fair that I lost the person who loved me best because some woman didn't love him at all." She stepped right into Damon's space. Eyes like glaciers, power rolling off of her in waves. "I hope you get to see Katherine again. I hope you get to ask her why she didn't try to find you. And I hope to God I'm there when she tells you it's because you never mattered."

With that, and one last withering look at Elena and Stefan she turned on her heel and left. Stefan wrapped his arms around his girlfriend as she began to tremble uncontrollably. Beside's him Damon stood utterly still, fury like nothing he'd ever seen before flashing in his eyes. It was a wonder the veins around his eyes didn't appear.

Stefan searched the crowd for Caroline, hoping she'd seen and would go after Bonnie. But it was Tyler Lockwood he saw fall into step besides the witch. There were no words spoken between them. Bonnie simply glanced over at him and Tyler ran a finger lightly along the back of her hand. And Stefan began to understand.

Next to him Damon growled, the veins actually starting to show.

"Damon. Are you okay?" Elena reached for him, but this time he flinched away.

"You better reign your friend in, Elena." His eyes were still on the couple that moved farther and farther away from them. "Talk to her, before I do."

Stefan looked suspiciously between his brother and where Bonnie and Tyler could no longer be seen, not even by them. And that's when Stefan knew, Bonnie was going to need Elena now more then ever.


	2. Chapter 2

**I disclaim. I own nothing.**

**AN: Okay so I want to thank everyone who reviewed. They really helped and motivated me through this chapter. **

**Chapter 2**

After the confrontation in the quad everyone was seeing less and less of Bonnie these days; or not at all in Elena's case. Physically she was in class, but to look at her was to know that she was miles away. If Matt knew anything, he knew he wasn't quite equipped to deal with this.

When Elena's parents died, it had been Bonnie that pulled the other girl out. He didn't know how she did it, or what it was she did exactly. But he knew Bonnie was there everyday. knew that even as Elena pushed everyone else away, it was Bonnie that she clung to. Even as Matt struggled with losing Elena, it was Bonnie who was there to do nothing more then sit and listen.

Unfortunately the shoe was on the other foot now and no one knew how to be Bonnie. Caroline tried, nothing short of an act of God was going to pull her away from her best friend. The problem, however, was the fact that Caroline had no idea where Bonnie was half the time.

"When Bonnie's ready she'll come find you?" On his break, Matt had found Caroline sitting alone at the _Grille_. She had greeted him with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes and broke his heart a little.

"If this was one of us…"

Scooting his chair closer, Matt wrapped his arms around his girlfriend's shoulders and held her close. "I know. But she'll be okay. Everything will be okay." But if he'd learned anything recently, it was that things often time ended up being so very far from okay.

***&&&***

The library was empty, as was usual during lunch, and that was just fine by Matt. With his mom showing up again, and work, and Caroline, he wasn't finding a lot of spare time to study. Lunch was the only time he really had free, as Caroline despite whatever disagreements they were having still ate lunch with Elena and didn't have a problem with Matt being…elsewhere.

He'd gone immediately to a table in the far back corner; not many people wandered that deeply into the library. So the odds of him being disturbed were relatively low. It was also just a nice spot, the library was situated on the back of the school grounds so that all windows faced out towards a small wooded area. Even with the big scary ass crow currently perched on the window ledge, it was still the perfect place to study, catch a quick nap, or hide out from the rest of the school.

Which was why he wasn't terribly surprised to see Bonnie at the only other table in the area. He couldn't say the same for Tyler, before today Matt would have been surprised to learn his friend even knew the school had a library let alone how to find it. Walking pass them, he tapped his knuckle on the tabletop. Bonnie looked up from the book she was writing in to give him an absent wave, Tyler gave him a brief nod of greeting, and they both went back to what they were doing.

Curious he continued on to his table, choosing to sit so that he could face them. Bonnie's books were spread out, she seemed to be working from two different ones simultaneously. Tyler wasn't studying at all, but sketching in the thick black book he always seemed to carry around.

"Any particular reason, you're staring, Donovan."

No one was around save for them, but Matt figured Tyler would have tossed the words out regardless of proper library etiquette. "Just surprised to actually see you here. Intentionally."

"Just stumbled in here the other day. I had no idea we even had a library. Did you know there was one in town, too." He jerked a thumb in the direction of the girl besides him. "And she has a card for both.

Matt laughed, because that was actually more in line with the Tyler he knew. He may have been ignorant of the existence of a couple of libraries. But even as a child, Tyler was always aware of Bonnie. It was a running joke among the football team, Tyler's crush on Bonnie. No one pulled their punches when letting him know that Bonnie Bennett was _way_ out of his league.

"_The fact that you think you can get any girl you want is precisely the reason you'll never get Bonnie." This came from the Derrick Stevens, the junior defensive tackle who was having the most fun letting Tyler have it._

_Tyler, who'd just slipped his T-shirt over his head, glared at the other boy. "What is it that you think you know, Stevens?"_

"_What I _know_ is that you don't _get_ girls like Bonnie Bennett. See, Lockwood, you're use to easy cheerleaders and slutty freshmen who are impressed by you. Bonnie's not like that, she's better then that."_

"_So you're saying Bonnie's too good for me."_

_Matt laughed, despite the fact that he felt kind of bad for his friend. "I think that's exactly what he's saying."_

"_Look, Ty." Senior and center, Mike Miller, who was often referred to as Big Mike due to the fact that he was massive, gave Tyler a sympathetic look. "The best thing you can do as far as Bonnie is concerned is look, admire, and deal with the fact that one day soon she's going to meet one of her crazy grandma's pretty rich boy college students and fall madly in love."_

_Tyler's features had darkened as he snatched up his bag and slammed his locker door shut. "Grams isn't crazy." Was his only retort as he marched out of the locker room._

A few days after that, they were back on the field. A few short yards away the cheerleaders were in the middle of their warm up stretches. Neither practice had really started yet, so Elena was on her feet and pulling Bonnie across the field with her and naturally Caroline wasn't too far behind.

"_Hi." Elena grinned as she launched herself into Matt's arms, never doubting that he would catch her._

"_Hi" Matt had leaned in to kiss Elena hello when their friends began to loudly voice their displeasure._

"_Boo." This from Bonnie._

"_I'm going to be sick." From Caroline._

"_Seriously, dude." Tyler._

"_You guys are just jealous." Elena scrunched her nose adorably at them, but didn't pull out of Matt's arms. "So, you guys want to catch a movie tonight."_

"_Not if the two of you are going to be like that all night." Caroline commented even as she flirted with an offensive linemen a few feet away. "But if you promise to behave, I'm in. Bon?"_

"_Sure." Bonnie turned to Tyler with a smile. "What about you?"_

"_Yeah, I guess." He gave a shrug, swinging his arms absently until Bonnie stopped him by touching her fingertips to the palm of his hand._

"_What's with you, broody?"_

_Tyler smiled. "Nothing."_

"_Well, we should get back. Stacy 'cheer-bitch' Lawson just arrived." Elena rolled her eyes before pressing a quick kiss to Matt's lips and heading back across the field with Bonnie and Caroline._

_The two boys stood in silence for a bit before Tyler spoke. "Do you really think Bonnie's too good for me?"_

_Matt grinned good-naturedly. "You want the truth."_

_Tyler shook his head. "I think I just got it."_

Was that really just last year? It seemed so long ago. They seemed so young. Looking back, Matt wondered if he handled that situation differently if Tyler would have ever started messing around with Vickie. Could he have prevented at least that heartache for his sister? Before the melancholy could sink in and take a hold of him he shoved it back, deciding instead to focus on the books in front of him.

The problem was he couldn't keep from glancing over at Bonnie and Tyler. They were both absorbed in the notebooks opened in front of them, ear buds firmly secured in their ears. They hadn't spoken, hadn't so much as looked at one another since he sat down. If he didn't know better, he'd have thought they were completely unaware of one another. But then Bonnie's pen suddenly stopped in the middle of the page, she looked up, glancing around the library as if unsure of what it was she was suppose to be doing. Even from where he sat he could see the way her hands began to shake.

Matt had just started to push back his chair to go to her when Tyler, without looking up from whatever it was he was doing, eased his hand under the table to place it on Bonnie's knee. When she reached below the table, Matt was sure it was to push Tyler's hand away. But instead she slid her fingers between his and went back to studying.

There was a noise outside the window that had Matt jumping in his chair. That freaky crow was still there, repeatedly hitting the glass with it's beak. The glass actually cracked just as the bell rung and more relieved then he'd ever been to hear the bell Matt quickly gathered his books; Alfred Hitchcock had him weary of angry crows.

"Alright there, Donovan." Tyler called with a mocking grin.

A safe distance from the window, Matt tried to play it cool. "Yeah. What's up, guys."

"Nothing." Tyler leaned over, tugged the earbud out , and whispered something to Bonnie that had her looking from Matt to the window and back.

For the first time in days, Matt watched a small smile tug at Bonnie's lips. "You sure?"

"Oh, yeah." But the crow's angry 'caw' cut through the library, causing Matt to shuffle away quickly.

"Do you want us to walk with you?"

"Shut up." But when he turned his back on them, there was a smile on his lips. Because he knew Bonnie would be okay. Tyler was seeing to it.

* * *

Jeremy was use to not seeing Bonnie at school. Hell, he just barely saw Elena. But he saw them both at home. Bonnie, like Caroline, was always over. Something that had sucked when he was a kid and they were always hugging him and kissing him and ruffling his hair; had been infinitely more awesome when he got older. Though he hugging and kissing decreased, the hair ruffling, not so much.

Naturally he harbored crushes for both girls. Even when he fell for Vickie Donovan, his heart always gave a little flutter whenever Bonnie and Caroline smiled at him. Always made him walk a little straighter in the halls when ever they called out to him, soaking up the envy of all the other guys.

But Bonnie hadn't been around, at all, lately. And he knew for a fact that Elena hadn't spoken to her, as he overheard several conversations between his sister and her boyfriend about how Bonnie still refused to see her. It worried him, as Bonnie had been there a hundred percent for Elena after their parents died. He, as with the rest of the school, was very much aware of the argument that occurred between the two girls in the quad. And he couldn't stand the thought of his sister and Bonnie not being friends anymore.

So it was with very determined strides that he moved his body towards the Bennett residence. It wasn't a home he was very familiar with; as he'd only been there a hand full of times with Elena. Once by himself to leave Bonnie a picture he'd drawn of her for Valentine's Day when he was eleven. She hadn't said anything in front of Elena or his parents, as he'd been utterly horrified she would do. She simply waited until they were alone, to kiss him on the cheek and tell him she loved her gift and would keep it forever. And maybe then he went from having a crush on Bonnie to falling a little bit in love with her.

The house was empty when he got there, so he lowered himself to the porch steps and waited. Entertaining himself by pulling out his sketch pad. He'd just started on the crow that landed moments ago on the neighbor's roof when Bonnie's Prius slowed to a stop at the curb.

"Jeremy?" Her head was tilted slightly to the side as she approached him. "What are you doing here?"

"Came to see you." He could tell that she'd been crying. But from his own experience knew it was better not to mention it. "I've missed you."

The smile just barely formed and didn't reach her eyes at all, but as she stepped into the house she left the door open for him to follow. And he counted that as a victory.

"I've missed you, too, Jer." Placing a hand on his chest, she gave him a sad smile. "God, I can't believe I'm looking up at you now."

"I'm not even done growing yet." And that came out slightly more flirtatiously then he intended and had his cheeks burning. "So, I figured I could make you dinner and we could hang out."

She stared at him for a moment, as if she could read his intentions through his eyes. Whatever it was she saw had her relaxing. "You cook?"

"I'm a gourmet at things you can pour water over and pop in the microwave."

Bonnie laughed as she tossed her book bag and purse onto a bench along the hallway. "How are your skills at ordering?"

"Second to none."

"Then how about you order a pizza while I run up and take a shower." She made an absent motion with her hand. "Just make yourself at home."

And he did. He called the local pizza place, ordering a large with half fully loaded and the other half with just ham and onion. He called Jenna, let her know where he was and that he wouldn't be home for dinner. Finally dropping onto the couch in front of the large flat screen. He'd just settled on _Attack of the Show_ when the front door opened.

The explanation that had been on his lips when he thought it was Mr. Bennett turned into an angry demand when he saw the older boy who stepped into the room.

"What the hell are you doing here, Tyler?"

"Could ask you the same thing, Gilbert." As if he'd done it a million times before, Tyler tossed his jacket over the banister.

"Ty?" Bonnie's voice carried down the stairs.

"Yeah." Tyler answered simply as he dropped onto the corner of the couch and made himself at home.

Jeremy was still standing there when Bonnie came down the stairs. She'd changed into a pair of _Family Guy_ pajama pants and a plain grey tee. Any question he wanted to ask, was dismissed when Bonnie simply grabbed his hand and pulled him back down on the couch with her.

"So, what are we watching?" She asked gesturing to the TV as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

Actually she and Tyler were acting so casual, that Jeremy had no choice but to follow their leads. Several times he'd notice Tyler open his mouth to no doubt say something assholish but Bonnie would tap her knee against his and he'd shut up.

As he spent the night watching them he remembered another time he'd seen them so comfortable together:

_It was the night he'd gotten in to a fight with Tyler at the school. Jeremy had been restless and not terribly eager to go home to a house he knew was still empty. So he headed away from the school, no particular destination set. He didn't know how long he walked, but eventually found himself on the same block that Bonnie's grandmother lived. It was quiet, which was why he could so clearly hear the voices coming from the front of Sheila Bennett's house._

_Bonnie was standing at the bottom of the stairs, her Grams was on the porch looking awfully formidable with her arms crossed over her chest, and there on the walk, collar of his wool jacket still popped in that ridiculous way Jeremy just could not stand was Tyler Lockwood._

"_Don't forget I know where you live, Tyler Lockwood."_

"_Yes, ma'am." Tyler nodded respectfully as Bonnie made her way to him._

"_Don't put on no act with me boy. You just make sure my grandbaby gets home safe."_

_Tyler kept his eyes on Bonnie even as he answered her grandmother. "I'll protect her with my life."_

At the time, Jeremy rolled his eyes, and decided to double back and head home. Now, as he watched them together, he kind of regretted his decision of not following them. Or at least catching up and walking with them. But really in the time between that night and Grams' funeral there hadn't been any evidence of anything going on with the two of them. When obviously something happened.

The longer the night wore on, the sleepier Bonnie became, the closer she leaned to Tyler. Until finally she lay across the couch, her head resting in on Tyler's lap, while her feet were in Jeremy's.

When Tyler noticed this, he said nothing, simply reached out and pulled Bonnie's knees forward. A position she stayed in for only a few seconds before stretching out, prompting Tyler to curl her up again. This went on a few more times and Jeremy really wished Tyler would stop. Because each time Bonnie stretched out her feet would brush against his crotch causing his body to tense up in the most amazingdirtyawesomewrong sensation ever.

Heart pounding in his chest, hands clenching tightly to the arm of the couch, Jeremy tried everything he could to get his body under control. But the simple sound of Tyler's voice did what continuous thoughts of baseball and the drain in the boys locker room could not.

"Don't you think it's time for you to leave, Gilbert?" Tyler's eyes were still glued to the screen, but this time when he place his arm under Bonnie's knees he left it there to prevent her from stretching out again.

"Could say the same to you." Jeremy smirked, throwing Tyler's earlier words back in his face.

"I'm going to stay until her dad gets home" Finally Tyler turned to look at him. "She shouldn't be alone."

Realizing he couldn't argue with that and knowing if he stayed any later Jenna would be calling, Jeremy stood to leave.

"Lock the door behind you."

And just like that, the guy was a dick again. With a roll of his eyes Jeremy gathered his things and left, locking the door behind him. But he didn't leave just yet, instead standing on the porch where he could see inside where Tyler stretched out on the couch with Bonnie, tucking her small body against his.

"Do you really think leaving him alone with her is a good idea?"

Jeremy near jumped out of his skin when the voice came from just beside him. Heart hammering in his chest, he turned to stare wide-eyed at Damon Salvatore. "Dude. Really?"

"Sorry." Though nothing about him said he meant that in the slightest. "I thought you heard me come up. But like I was saying, do you really think it's a good idea to leave Bonnie alone and defenseless with a guy that just screams 'date rape'."

Jeremy frowned. Granted he didn't think much of Tyler Lockwood, but he wouldn't go that far. "I don't know, Bonnie trusts him." Which was very evident by the way she curled into him.

"That's because Bonnie doesn't know any better. But you do. So," Damon held Jeremy's gaze. "You're going to go back in there and not leave until the meathead does. For Bonnie."

Jeremy felt for moment as if a fog had drifted over his mind, like that feeling he got at the start of a bender, but with a shake of his head it was gone. And Damon was searching him with an angry glare before his eyes fell on the black rope around his neck held together with a silver cylinder clasp. "Elena." He felt the need to explain, fingers toying with the gift his sister had given him. "I'm gonna go. Bonnie will be okay. Her dad should be home soon." As he walked away he would have sword he heard a growl. But when he turned back around nothing was there. Not even Damon Salvatore.

It wasn't until the next day at school, when he overheard Caroline and Matt, that he learned that Bonnie's father wouldn't be back until the end of the following week.

And it was then Jeremy knew, Tyler had stolen another girl from him.


	3. Chapter 3

**I disclaim. I own nothing.**

**AN: Okay, so I never intended for the first few chapters to be everyone's perspective of how Bonnie and Tyler were together, it just kind of happened. This chapter I had to split because it was from both Elena and Caroline's point of view, so I decided to continue on in the same line of the previous two chapters. **

**All the reviews and alerts are just so awesome. Every time I get one, it makes me want to write more and give you guys more and just really make writing the story a joy. So please keep them coming, they're just a huge help.**

**Chapter 3**

Things hadn't been the same since the night Bonnie's grandmother died. Caroline had been on her way home from a party out in the woods; despite the good time she was having with Matt there'd been a sinking feeling in her gut. The fire truck shot passed her and the sinking sensation got worse, she didn't know why but she found herself following them. Right to Sheila Bennett's home.

There was an ambulance already there, as was a squad car, and worse the coroner's van. Heart racing Caroline stumbled out of her car, running through the gathering crowd to the stoic young man standing out on the front lawn. It was a small town, everyone knew she was the sheriff's daughter. Knew that she'd been attached at the hip to Bonnie Bennett since she was a child. So no one stopped her, many stepped out of the way and avoided her gaze.

"Bonnie?" The word was whispered up at Stefan, fear of the answer laced in every syllable.

Stefan shook his head sadly. "Sheila."

Her eyes scanned the crowd, searching out her mother. Bonnie's father. Some adult who could help her make sense of this. Instead she saw Tyler's car speeding past the house and screeching to a halt, absently she recalled he'd been still at the party when she left. She caught sight of Damon on the porch, but was so torn up inside she couldn't even work up her disgust for him.

"You should go in." Stefan spoke softly.

Caroline nodded, tried to brace herself, but simply ended up charging in. Bonnie and Elena were there in the living room. They were sitting side by side on the couch, eyes locked straight ahead. She must of made some sound, because they turned to her.

"Caroline?" Confusion marred Bonnie's face. "What…what are you doing here?"

"I…" Caroline broke off as the tears slid down Elena's cheeks. They shared a look, the brunette simply shook her head. "Bon?"

"They, uh, they won't let me in my Grams' room. They made me stay here." The confusion was still on her face when she turned to Elena. "Why won't they let me be with her?"

Before Caroline could answer, one of the vehicles started up, and Bonnie's look of confusion turned to panic. "Sweetie?"

"They're taking her? They can't take her. I can bring her back…they can't…" Bonnie jumped from the couch, Elena tried to grab her, tried to halt any forward movement. But the witch was working on adrenaline and fear, she shoved out of Elena's arms. Caroline tried to stop her, but she was also shoved for her efforts. It didn't take long for the two girls to collect themselves and run out after their friend.

Caroline was afraid she'd be greeted with the sight of her best friend banging on the door's of the coroner's van or worse chasing it up the street. Instead, Bonnie had never made it down the walk. It seemed as if she'd run right off the porch and into Tyler's arms. Maybe at another time, Caroline would have been more aware of the way he was holding Bonnie. Of how gentle his hands were as they rubbed circle's along the witch's back.

Things became sort of a blur at that point. The next thing Caroline could clearly remember was being back in the living room. Damon, thank God, had disappeared. But Stefan was still there, standing in the doorway as if the need to flee would occur at any moment. Elena was at his side, bottom lip trembling but trying her best to appear strong for Bonnie. Caroline couldn't stop pacing the length of the room, fighting the urge to scream at her mother to shut up to leave Bonnie alone. Even stronger was the urge to shove Tyler aside and take her place next to her best friend. But she wasn't sure who would put up the bigger fight.

Tyler sat quietly besides Bonnie, her small hand locked between his larger ones. They were close, so close that whenever it looked as if Bonnie would breakdown in tears he'd simply brush his lips over her temple and mumble something only she could hear. It was so odd to see them that way.

They had all been friends for so long. Tyler and Matt as tight as Caroline, Bonnie, and Elena. The five of them locked together because of Matt and Elena's relationship. But there'd never seemed to be anything more between Bonne and Tyler.

Well, Caroline reconsidered as she stopped behind her mother to study the couple on the couch, that wasn't entirely true.

Tyler, despite his privileged rich boy persona, had always been sort of a moody bastard. Bonne, being the exact opposite, had always been able to make him smile. Whenever they all went out, they always seemed to be together. Not talking or paying one another in particular attention, but never more than an arms length away from each other.

"Do you know when your father will be back, Bonnie?" Elizabeth Forbes sat on the coffee table opposite the young woman she'd watch grow up.

Eyes trained on the hand clutching hers, Bonnie shook her head.

"Do you know where he is?"

"Uh…yeah…he um…"

"Seattle." Tyler answered softly when it appeared Bonnie had drawn a total blank.

"I can call him." Elena spoke up, obviously eager to help any way she could.

Elizabeth shook her head. "I can call him." She looked to Tyler. "Can you get her home."

Even as Tyler nodded, Bonnie shook her head. "I want to stay here."

"You can't stay here, Bunny." Tyler told her gently. "Come on, I'll take you home."

When she looked up at him, there was a question in her eyes, and when he nodded she relaxed against him.

"Mom," Caroline stepped forward when her mother stood to leave. "I'm-"

Elizabeth nodded. "I know. Elena would you like me to call Jenna, let her know where you'll be?"

"Yes. Please."

They rode back to Bonnie's in silence. The three girls sitting close together in the back of Tyler's car, Stefan followed behind in Bonnie's. The fit in Bonnie's bed hadn't been as comfortable as when they were younger, but it didn't stop Caroline and Elena from crawling into bed with her anyway.

The following morning Caroline woke to find Elena already up, noise from the kitchen was finding it's way into the bedroom, but Bonnie continued to lay there. Caroline knew her well enough to know she was awake as well, but she said nothing and left her friend alone. She came across Stefan first, he was standing at the front door, a quick glance told Caroline he was watching Elena and Damon. She considered making a comment, but was too drained to work up a proper quip, so continued on her way.

The kitchen was packed; Matt and Jeremy sat at the island, Jenna stood at the counter staring at the coffee maker as if willing it to work faster, her mother was speaking quietly into the house phone.

"Hey," Matt stood up to greet her with a brief kiss on the cheek. "How is she?"

"Um…pretending to sleep. I figured I'd take her some coffee or breakfast. Because that's what you do right? When someone dies you bring food, which I don't understand, but-" Her voice pitched and she realized she was the verge of babbling hysterically, so was grateful when Matt wrapped her in a hug and told her whatever she did was fine.

"She'll be okay." Jeremy stated with obviously more confidence then he felt. "I mean this is Bonnie."

With an smile full of appreciation, Caroline reached out and ruffled his hair. "That's right."

"So, what did Sean say?" Jenna asked when Elizabeth hung up the phone. "When is he coming back." She handed a cup of coffee and a bagel to Caroline. "Just set it besides her bed, it's enough for her to know it's there."

"His original flight reservations were for tomorrow, so he figured he'd just keep those…"

With a roll of her eyes Caroline headed back up to Bonnie's room. Sean Bennett had never been the warmest man in the world. Caroline couldn't remember Bonnie's mother, not really, but always assumed Bonnie had to be just like her. As her father's idea of parenting was to throw money at his only child. But she figured the death of his mother would be enough to get him to alter his plans.

At the foot of the stairs, Caroline squared her shoulders. She'd be there for Bonnie, she'd get her friend through this if it was the last thing she did. With this resolve she started up the stairs. Only hesitating when she heard the music drifting from the bedroom.

_Grandma's hands use to hand me a piece of candy. Grandma's hand picked up each time I fell._

Moving slowly, Caroline peeked into the room to see Bonnie still laying in the bed. But she was no longer alone. Tyler, who Caroline was unaware of even being in the house, sat in a chair he pulled close to the bed. Bonnie's back was to the door, but it was obvious by the shaking of her shoulders that she was crying again, and by the way he was leaning forward, it was obvious Tyler was wiping away her tears as the fell.

"He came in through the window."

Caroline didn't jump at the sound of Elena's voice. It spoke volumes of their friendship that she just knew the other girl was there.

"Damon saw him climbing the tree."

"We're going to get her through this, aren't we?" Caroline found herself asking, only with Elena and Bonnie would she allow her insecurities to show so blatantly.

Wrapping her arms around the blonde's waist, Elena nodded. "Yeah." She began to pull her back down the stairs. "Apparently the three of us will."

"Right. What is _that_ about anyway?" Caroline asked hoping that whatever _that_ was, it was good for Bonnie.

* * *

"I'm a bad friend."

Looking up from the book in her lap, Bonnie gave a confused look to Caroline. "Huh?"

Squaring her shoulders, Caroline climbed the two steps to stand on the porch. "I didn't know about you and Tyler. I've been so involved with…well myself that I hadn't even realized."

Still utterly confused, Bonnie now sat the book aside. Shifting on the porch swing she patted the space besides her. "Realize what?"

"About you and Tyler." Caroline stressed as she took the offered seat.

"What about me and Tyler?"

"That you're…" She made a vague gesture with her hands. "You _and _Tyler."

And still it took a minute. But when realization did dawn, she shook her head. "Oh, Caroline, no. Tyler and I…there's nothing going on with us. What would possibly make you think that?"

"Well, you're…Matt saw you two in the library the other day. He said that Tyler is taking care of you." Caroline paused, half expecting Bonnie to contradict that statement. "I'm your best friend. I should be the one taking care of you right now, I should be aware that someone else is doing it. And the fact that you had to turn to Tyler…it just further proves how bad a friend I am."

"Caroline…you know I love you, right."

"Yeah."

"You know what your friendship means to me?"

"I think I do."

"Good. Having said all of that…You do know that…this isn't about _you_, right. My Grams," It was still hard for her to say, hard to reconcile. "She's gone."

It was said so softly, Caroline could hardly make out the words. "I just want to help you."

"I know. But I also know you well enough to know that-"

"I'm not really good at the comfort thing." Caroline finished. "And you're mad at Elena."

"It's not that I'm mad at Elena. I just," Bonnie's eyes filled with tears she immediately battled back. "I can't be around her right now."

Caroline nodded, she didn't really know what happened between Elena and Bonnie. Of course she knew about their fight in the quad, everyone knew about that, but she didn't know the cause of it. Normally she'd have pried, worried the hell out of Bonnie and Elena until someone told her something. But she figured, at this point, Bonnie had enough to worry about. "Okay, but Tyler."

And that really was a bitter pill to swallow considering Caroline had disliked Tyler since childhood. He had been such a little snot. When they were very young, just starting school, Caroline, Bonnie, and Elena would go with their parents (or Grams in Bonnie's case) to those stupid town meetings. And nine times out of ten they would be held at the Lockwood home, later the mayoral mansion. But it didn't really matter where they were as Tyler would often declare himself king of wherever they were and 'banish' Caroline and Elena to one side of the room or yard while he and Bonnie played on the other. "I mean of all people, _Tyler_."

"Don't say it like that. He's my friend."

"Since when?"

"Since forever." Suddenly agitated, Bonnie pushed off the swing to pace away from the other girl.

"Okay, yeah, we've all grown up together." Caroline conceded. "But the two of you have never been…"

"That's the thing, Caroline. We have." Bonnie walked to the stone railing across from her friend. "Just because you don't see something doesn't mean it isn't there."

Before she could ask her friend to explain what exactly she meant, Tyler's car pulled up in front of the house. He stepped out, dressed casually in a pair of red basketball shorts and a thin white tee. And he may not have been one of her favorite people, she could admit the boy had never looked bad a day in his life. Which was one of the many reasons why, when she was going through her brief awkward phase, she'd taken to referring to him as Tyler 'stupid' Lockwood.

"Hey, Bunny." Tyler cut across the lawn to pull himself up on the railing besides Bonnie. He was turned so he was facing her, so spared no more then a cursory glance over his shoulder at the girl across from them. "Caroline."

"Tyler." She nearly rolled her eyes at him, but refrained herself. And was glad, knowing that if she followed the impulse she may have missed the flick of Bonnie's finger along Tyler's nose and the smile he gave her in return.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Bonnie asked, still smiling sweetly at Tyler.

"When you did that, you're right eyebrow kind of arched a bit, and you looked just like Grams."

"So," Caroline began when Bonnie's gaze drifted off and it looked like Tyler was just going to sit and watch her. "What do you two crazy kids have planned for today?"

"I'm going to rearrange the furniture to make room for this big ass TV her dad bought." Tyler answered absently.

Caroline couldn't help but to laugh. "Tyler's doing, like, actual work. Can I stay? Can I call, Matt? I don't think he'll even believe it if he didn't see it for himself."

"No." Was Tyler's flippant response, which earned him a half-hearted slap on the shoulder from Bonnie. "I mean, I'll call him. I'm gonna need his help to move the furniture, since I doubt either of you'll be much use." He swung his legs around until he was standing on the porch. "What do you say, Bunny?"

"Yeah, whatever." Bonnie answered. But Caroline saw that she seemed further away then she had moments ago. She started to say something, but Tyler beat her to the punch.

"Still, I'm gonna have to make due with you until he gets here." In one smooth movement he had her up and thrown over his shoulder, effectively drawing her from whatever dark place her mind had gone.

"Tyler put me down." But she wasn't struggling to get away from him. Didn't even bother to keep the smile off her lips.

"When I'm ready." He headed towards the front door. "Make yourself useful, Caroline, and call that boyfriend of yours. Tell him I said to get his ass here."

Caroline did roll her eyes this time. Tyler Lockwood was still a little snot, but he was making Bonnie smile. And that's when Caroline knew; what _that_ was, was friendship that had taken a turn towards something more. It was just a matter of time before Bonnie and Tyler realized it.

* * *

**The song Bonnie was listening to was 'Grandma's hands' by Bill Withers. Great song.**


	4. Chapter 4

**I disclaim. I own nothing.**

**Chapter 4**

The morning after Grams' died, Elena found herself being forced into consciousness by the steady buzzing of her cell in the back pocket of her jeans. It took a few minutes for her to remember the events of the previous night, but when she did it all came back so fast it nearly suffocated her. Opening the tomb, feeling her heartbreak upon realizing Stefan had gone in after her knowing he couldn't come back out. Chasing after him and witnessing Damon's distress upon discovering Katherine wasn't there.

She'd been surprised to learn just how badly she felt for Damon, not even fully aware of her actions until her arms were actually wrapped around him. But she couldn't deny that spending over a century loving and missing someone only to discover your pining was for naught…well, really it was something Elena couldn't even begin to imagine. And maybe she'd been a little relieved, seeing Damon's reaction and Stefan's indifference had gone a long way to proving what Katherine meant to each brother.

So she'd parted ways with them, leaving Stefan to deal with Damon while she went with Bonnie. And maybe that was selfish. But she was hoping to talk everything over with her best friend and get her help on how to deal with the situation that was now in front of her.

When she heard Bonnie scream, there had been a moment of disconnect. Her mind couldn't rationalize what was happening with what she _knew_. This was Bonnie. Bonnie, who found out she was a witch and dealt with it without Caroline and Elena being none the wiser. Who actually used her powers to cheer up Elena. Bonnie, who was haunted, possessed, and bitten by a vampire all in the same day. And ended up _offering_ comfort instead of simply receiving it. Bonnie…dealt. Yet Bonnie was breaking down and Elena found herself at a loss for what to do.

Stefan hadn't helped, well that wasn't entirely true. He'd been the one to speak to the emergency workers and the coroner. But as far as Elena had been concerned Bonnie was all that mattered and he hadn't been able to tell her how to help. Sheriff Forbes, though well intentioned hadn't helped. Neither had Caroline. By the time Tyler showed up and seemed to know how to handled the young witch, Elena had been too grateful to even question his presence.

And now it was morning. Now the after and the between began. That time after the death and before the funeral. Elena didn't know what to do now, any more then she had the night before. The time between her parents accident and their funeral was such a blur of pain and grief it seemed to have never happened at all. In the back of her mind, she knew Bonnie had been there. She remembered the accident and the funeral. Logically she knew there were days between; but it was like her brain decided she didn't need to remember it. Honestly, she'd been glad for it. But now she wished she had something to draw on, anything, just to help Bonnie.

Her phone began to buzz again and absently she pulled it from her pocket and brought it to her ear. Her mind already so distracted she wasn't even fully aware of what she was doing. "Hello."

There was a pause on the other end. "Elena. I.." It was Damon. And Elena couldn't say she was use to him sounding so unsure of himself. "You know what, never mind."

"No," Elena spoke quickly before he could hang up. This she could handle. Where as the night before, Damon's problems seemed bigger then what she could deal with. Right now they were the only thing she felt she was capable of dealing with. She was a teenage girl in love with a vampire, who knew heartache better then she. "Damon wait." She eased out of the bed, making her way across the room so as not to disturb her friends. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." And she would have sworn she could actually hear his eyes rolling. "Was just wondering how you felt about another road trip. Figured you owed me one. You know, since I helped you after you found out Stefan wasn't who you thought he was."

Eyes on the bed, Elena missed whatever hidden meaning was there in Damon's words. Bonnie was on her back arms above her head, Caroline was on her side facing the door. A sad smile ghosted her lips as she realized it was the same why they slept as kids. They had even looked up what their sleep positions meant once and laughed at how close the meanings came to their actual personalities.

The smile fell. Before her parents accident she and Caroline had the same sleep positions, it was one of the reasons she and Caroline took the outside of the bed and Bonnie who slept flat on her back with her arms and legs spread was in the middle. But Elena slept in the fetal position now, usually falling asleep with her body wrapped around a pillow.

She didn't want that for Bonnie. Couldn't stand for that to happen to Bonnie. "I can't leave right now, Damon."

"Your loss."

"Do you really think leaving is the best thing for you right now. Why don't you stay? Let Stefan help you."

"Do what? Listen, Elena, I know in your sweet simple mind you must think I'm suffering oh so much. But really, I'm fine. I'm glad to have this monkey off my back."

Now it was Elena who rolled her eyes. She had no idea who he thought he was fooling. "Well can you at least come by here first. I'd like to see you before you go."

"Of course you do. I just need to know where 'here' is first."

"I'm at Bonnie's."

"Be there in a jiff."

This she could deal with. She'd get Damon to stay. Now that he learned what Katherine truly was, maybe he'd come to realize how far he'd fallen. That living, or not living, the way he did was pointless when it was all for a woman who didn't deserve his type of devotion. And then maybe Stefan could get his brother back.

With one last look at the bed she started down the stairs. She'd been expecting to find Stefan on the couch. She'd been wanting to find Stefan on the couch. But he wasn't there and she had a feeling he wasn't in the house at all. So she headed towards the kitchen, intending to put on a pot of coffee and hunting up something for them to eat. It was there she came across Tyler and Sheriff Forbes.

"It's strange."

With a frown, Elena looked across the kitchen at Caroline's mother. Instead of her uniform, she was wearing a pair grey slacks and a pale yellow cardigan over a white cami.. And for the teenager, _that_ was strange. In all her life she could count on one hand the number of times she'd seen Sheriff Forbes out of uniform. "What is?"

"Bonnie's usually the first one up. When you girls were younger and you'd sleep over, I'd get up in the morning to find Bonnie already up and in front of the TV watching cartoons."

"She still is. As far as she's concerned the day's half over by eight. Morning, Tyler." She greeted the tired looking young man standing silently by the back door.

"Morning." Was his muttered reply.

"Elena," Sheriff Forbes motioned to her. "I tried calling Bonnie's father, but I keep getting his voice mail. Do you know if Bonnie has a phone number for the hotel he's staying in?"

"No. I guess I can go wake her up and ask." But she hated to do that. Would have actually preferred calling every hotel in Washington to waking Bonnie up.

"Don't do that." Tyler went to the corkboard hanging on the wall above the counter where the cordless phone charger set. Plucking an index card from a tack he handed it to Sheriff Forbes. "Here. His work cell is on there as well as the number to his hotel and the room he's staying in. Still don't see why you need to call him. It's not like he's going to rush back here or anything."

"He's her father, Tyler."

Tyler gave Sheriff Forbes a look that clearly stated his opinion on the matter. An opinion that closely mirrored Elena; Sean Bennett was only a father in the looses sense of the word. "That doesn't mean anything to him. Why should it mean anything to us?"

"Sheila was Sean's mother, he'll come back. He'll come back because Bonnie needs him right now."

"He doesn't know what Bonnie needs!" Tyler exploded. "And obviously neither do you." And with that he pushed open the back door and stalked out.

Elena could only give Caroline's mother a blank look when the other woman turned to her. They both opened their mouths to speak, but the words were bit back when Stefan, Matt, and Jeremy walked into the kitchen.

Whatever awkwardness that had existed between Matt and Elena was gone when they crossed the room to each other. "I'm sorry we didn't call." She mumbled against his chest. "You're her friend, too."

"Hey, you guys had other things on your mind. Tyler called first thing this morning. It's no problem."

Elena nodded, though she really didn't think it was. "Hey," She moved out of Matt's arms to hug her brother. It was odd to find the awkwardness here, with him.

"Jenna went grab some bagels and stuff." He began, clearly not sure what to do with himself. "She figured you guys might be hungry or something."

"Right." And she left him alone. He was here, which was more then she would have been able to say for him a few months ago. Not to mention the fact that she was eager to go to Stefan, to find the strength she needed for Bonnie in his arms.

Sliding her hands under the black North Face pullover he wore, she felt the warmth of his skin. And knew he'd left to go feed.

"You okay?" He asked as he pulled Elena gently out to the front porch.

"It's not me you should be worried about."

Framing her face in his hands, Stefan pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. "You break, so does Bonnie. I'll worry about you, so you can worry about her."

Because it was absolutely the most perfect thing he could say at that moment, Elena wrapped her arms tightly around his waist. "Who's going to worry about you, then?"

"Well his big brother of course."

Elena jumped, because honestly she forgot she'd even spoke to Damon this morning. And really, appearing out of no where was just never the right thing to do.

"I'm better off on my own." Stefan deadpanned.

"Are you saying I'm a bad big brother?" Damon shook his head. "That's the low iron talking, because I happen to know for a fact I'm an awesome big brother. Because I always take care of what's mine." He sent a leer at Elena that he just knew would set his little brother off.

"Look, Damon, I'm sorry you lost Katherine." Stefan began with just barely restrained anger. "But trying to take Elena from me, isn't going to make you feel better. It isn't going to make what she did to you hurt less."

"This," Damon's voice was clearly harder then he would have liked. And he deliberately relaxed his stance. "Has nothing to do with Katherine. The truth is brother, Elena is safer with me. I protect what's mine. Can you say the same?"

"What of _yours_ have you ever protected?" Stefan moved until he was nearly nose to nose with his brother. "Katherine, she was yours right. Yet had she been depending on to save her, she would have found herself locked in a tomb for half a century. Me, the kid brother you were suppose to take care of. Well I'm a demon, an unnatural thing. And Bonnie-"

"Bonnie?" Damon's handsome face was drawn in a contemplative frown.

"Yeah, your little witch, the one you were suppose to protect. First you nearly killed her. Then you terrorize her. Now you've destroyed her. Bang up job there, _bro_. Just stellar."

"Stefan." Elena put a restraining hand on his arm.

"You shouldn't even be here, Damon." Stefan spoke softly, but every line of his body was still tense.

"Doesn't matter what you think, Stefan. First, you just said it yourself, Bonnie's mine. So it's only right I check in on her. And second, Elena invited me over. Not in." The ever present smirk, curled the corners of his lips. "Though, from what I've seen of _our_ dear Elena and _my_ little witch, she probably could invite me in."

"Elena-"

"I just wanted to talk to him. It's okay." But as she looked up into Stefan's face, she had a feeling he thought this was as far from okay as it could get. "We're just going to talk. Don't worry I'm not going anywhere with him. I wouldn't leave Bonnie."

"Are you sure she's still asleep?"

"Yeah," Though she frowned at the randomness of his question. "I'll be right here."

"You know," Damon began when Stefan walked back into the house. "When he acts like that one would think he actually didn't trust me."

"Did you know Bonnie was there for me everyday after my parents died?"

"Well you guys are BFF's right." This was spoken with a mocking eye roll.

"She was there for Caroline after her dad left."

"She should have tried harder with helping sweet little Caro with her 'daddy issues'."

Elena fought desperately to ignore the act he was putting on, because she knew after the time they spent together in Georgia that his behavior now was clearly a front. "She was there for me after Matt and I broke up, for Caroline after you did…what you did to her. Every bad thing that's ever happened to Caroline and I, Bonnie has been there to help us through it."

Damon yawned as he leaned against the stone railing of the front porch. "Your point?"

"Bonnie's strong, always has been."

Now he was laughing, positively giggling as he jumped off the front porch. "Bonnie? Strong? Little Bonnie Bennett who trembled like a baby bird when confronted in a crowded parking lot in broad daylight."

"Yeah, she trembled. But she didn't back down. _That_ takes strength." He rolled his eyes, and she expected him to, but she continued on anyway. "And as strong as she is, she broke down last night. She was strong enough to allow herself to hurt."

"See, you're working under the illusion that Katherine actually hurt me. She didn't"

"I saw you, Damon."

"You saw what I wanted you to see."

"I saw, what you couldn't hide." She gave a frustrated sigh, because she knew he could go around and around in this circle forever. "Bonnie's mom died when she was a baby, her dad is hardly ever around, but none of that mattered to her because she had her Grams. You may try to pretend not to, but you know what she lost last night. You know what it feels like to lose the only person you felt truly loved you. If you took the time to actually look at her, you'd see just how close the pain you feel is to the pain she's feeling as well."

For a moment she thought she had him, she could see the thoughts flicker over his face. The way his eyes traveled up to the room, she didn't even want to know how, he knew was Bonnie's. But in a flash it was gone, and the smirk was firmly in place.

"How badly could the little witch be hurting if she has some guy climbing into her window." The smirk turned lecherous. "Though if I had known Bonnie was the fuck her pain away kind of girl…"

"Don't be disgusting. That's just Tyler. He's helping her." She wanted to push him away, wanted to cut her losses and leave Stefan to deal with him. But she couldn't get over the way he looked. The way he just stood there when she hugged him. "Think about what I said. Okay?"

"We'll see. Maybe. Probably not."

If she had looked back, she'd have known that a little bit of what she said had gotten through. Just not the part she would have preferred.

* * *

Elena could hear the music pouring out of the house even before she stepped out of her car. Immediately she recognized Matt's pick-up and Tyler's Charger. Because the front door was open, she could hear their voices over the music. Naturally, Caroline was talking over everyone. Unbeknownst to her, she stood in nearly the same spot as her brother had not to long ago and peered into the large picture window.

The largest TV she thought she'd ever seen was mounted on the wall. There was all kinds of electronics in the built-ins surrounding it. But what surpassed all of that was the sight of her little brother and boyfriend standing in front of the TV, Wii-motes in hand, and playing tetherball as if the fate of the world was on the line.

"You should have just come away with me."

Elena jumped, because seriously. "You should really consider not doing that anymore."

Damon smirked. "And then how would I have fun. Because I don't know if you've noticed, I'm not the video game type."

He'd made some movement with his hand, that she realized was suppose to be her cue to look in the window, realize how childish Stefan was and reconsider her choices. What he didn't take into account was how much Elena enjoyed seeing that smile on Stefan's face. The way his eyes crinkled at the corners and his entire body seemed to relax. He was beautiful to look at anyway. But when he smiled…he was perfect.

"It was rude of them not to invite us, don't you think." Damon continued conversationally. "Stefan was never good at sharing, so I know why I'm not in there. But what I can't figure out is why _you_ weren't invited." He actually scrunched his forehead as if deeply considering this. "Don't tell me you're still fighting with my little witch."

Deciding not to give him the satisfaction of calling him on his possessive statement, Elena made a restless movement with her shoulders. "Bonnie's not in a good place right now."

"Yeah, this little get together just screams that." Damon mocked. "I'm on my way to California, you should come. It's obvious you aren't missed here."

She couldn't deny that there was a part of her that was affected by his words. That small fear in everyone that no one would miss them when they were gone. But she pushed it back, determined not to let Damon get to her. "Haven't seen you around much, Damon. Where have you been?"

"Here and there. Miami was…awesome. Missed you there. Missed you in a bikini there."

Rolling her eyes, Elena shoved him away. "Stefan and Bonnie really got to you didn't they."

He gave a sigh as he leaned back against the rail. "I'm not sure I follow."

"You're trying so hard to prove how unaffected and cool you are. But the way you're searching for Katherine…it kind of contradicts that. She still has you, Damon."

"No one," He snapped out, but just as quickly fell back on cool disinterest. "Has me. I'm searching for Katherine because we need to talk. Well, I plan to talk and inflict pain. If she knows what's good for her, she'll take it."

And that Elena did believe. Everything about Damon stated that he'd make suffer anyone who hurt him. "You could just let her go. Forget about her."

"I could. I just prefer to flay her alive. It's much more therapeutic." He rubbed his hands together, the glee in his voice didn't quite reflect in his eyes. "Gotta say, at first I was enjoying the hunt. The...anticipation. Now I'm just ready for the fun to start."

When his eye lit with interest, Elena turned to look back in the window. Bonnie had stepped into the room, she said something to Tyler and the two walked out again. Finding only one reason for the look on the vampire's face, Elena glared at him. "Is that why you're here? To get Bonnie to help you find her."

"What?" Damon looked at her as if she asked how to spell her own name. "I wouldn't…" He broke off, as if seeming to realize what he was about to say and horrifying himself with the knowledge. "No."

"Then why are you here, Damon."

"I told you. I want you to come away with me."

"No. Why won't you let Stefan and I help you?"

Damon just rolled his eyes. "Spare me that please. I just thought you could use some fun."

"I don't consider hunting down and torturing your ex to be fun."

"Your loss." He started to walk away, but stopped. "Would you come if I threatened to kill one of your little friends?"

Elena's eyes narrowed as she studied him. He said it in such an offhanded way that he could be joking. But this was Damon and one could never tell with him. "I wouldn't have to. Stefan would stop you."

Like a giddy school boy he was back in front of her. Sitting on the rail with a ridiculous smile on his face. "You know Katherine wouldn't have cared. She'd have thrown open the door and told me to take my pick. If you were sure I was serious you'd consider going, weighing your options before foolishly counting on Stefan to save everyone."

"What's your point? I think it was long ago established that I'm nothing like Katherine."

"But Bonnie," He continued as if she hadn't spoken. "She'd have come with me. Wouldn't have even thought about it. My little witch would have let me drag her all over the world and fuck her every which way from Sunday anywhere I got the urge. All in the name of keeping her friends, most especially you, safe. You got to admire that kind of blind, stupid, loyalty."

There was something there, something she should have heard in his voice or words. A warning sounded in her head, but she couldn't say for what.

"Elena." Stefan spoke her name softly, drawing her attention towards him. "Go home, Damon."

"I will." He shot one last look into the house. "Eventually." But in a flash he was gone.

Elena prepared herself for Stefan's anger, for him to look at her disapprovingly, but he only held the screen door open. Relieved she quickly crossed the porch and latched her hand to his.

"Hey, sis." Jeremy glanced quickly over his shoulder, didn't bother to wave, and went back to the game of dodge ball he was playing with Matt.

Which was more then she could say for Matt, who didn't even bother turning around. Simply tossed out a muttered 'hey, Elena'. And even that was better then Caroline, who was typing something into her cell and did no more then wiggle her fingers at the newcomer.

"She's in the kitchen." Stefan's voice proceeded his lips against the shell of her ear.

With a nod, and a nervous smile, Elena made her way into the other room. As promised Bonnie was there. She was standing in front of the open refrigerator door, Tyler was standing almost directly behind her.

"I don't understand how you can eat so much pizza. It's been like every other night this week."

"There's no such thing as too much pizza. Besides, we don't necessarily have to order out."

"There is nothing here to eat. And we are well passed the too much pizza mark."

"Alright," Tyler grudgingly conceded, as he closed the refrigerator door, and leaned back against it. "So what do you want then?"

"I don't know. How-" She finally looked over to Elena. The way she trailed off had Tyler glancing over as well.

"Hey," Elena stepped forward hesitantly. "Can we talk. Please, Bonnie."

Bonnie nodded slightly before turning back to Tyler. "How about tacos?"

"Okay." He crossed his arms over his chest. For a moment, Elena thought he'd block Bonnie from her view. "I'll send Matt."

"Ty." Bonnie gave him a bump with her shoulder, that immediately had him relaxing his stance.

"Fine." Elena half expected him to stomp his foot like he did when they were kids. "I'm still making Matt drive." He muttered as he left the two girls alone.

"I see you got a new TV." Elena began, barely resisting the urge to slap herself on the forehead for the ridiculous statement.

"Yeah, I, uh, haven't been able to get rid of Matt and Jeremy since."

The few moments of awkward silence were the worse Elena ever experienced, because it was something she never would have thought could occur between her and Bonnie. There had been days when they talked non-stop and never ran out of things to say to one another. Other times they could sit together, not utter a single word, and be completely comfortable. But this…this strain…nothing like this had ever existed between them.

"Stefan," She pointed to the doorway behind her, where she could hear everyone leaving. Giving her and Bonnie time alone. "Has he been by a lot?"

Bonnie shook her head. "He came by to explain that he asked you to help with Damon. It was sweet. It _is _sweet how much he loves you. I don't even think it mattered to him that I knew he was lying. He just wanted to make sure I knew that you would never do anything to hurt me."

"I'd die," Elena began, her voice quivering when she would have preferred to be strong. "You have to know I'd die, before ever doing anything to hurt you."

"Then how could you." Bonnie's voice quivered as well. "How could you compare-" The words caught in her throat as tears gathered in her eyes. "My Grams is gone because of him. And I wanted to hate you. I wanted to hate you so much for going to him after what he took from me."

Elena's own eyes watered. Pain, real and tangible, sliced through her when she took a step towards Bonnie only for her friend to take one in retreat. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Not only did you ask him to stay. You invited him here, to my house. Why, Elena? Why would you do that?" She wiped impatiently at the tears falling from her eyes. "How could you possibly think that would be the right thing to do?"

"Because I didn't know what else to do." Her own tears fell unchecked. "I couldn't help you. I didn't even begin to know how. But Damon…I could deal with that. I mean…he found out his girlfriend was a bitch and needed help getting over her. I could do that, I could get Stefan his brother back. Do something for someone. Because I knew that I was going to be absolutely useless to you. To _you_, Bonnie. My best friend, my sister, my Ard."

"I would have preferred you to be useless. Preferred that a thousand times over then having to watch and listen to _my _best friend, _my_ sister, _my_ Eph comforting that monster. I thought you'd know what I'm going through, that you'd understand how I'm hurting. But you trivialized it by comparing it to Damon."

"Don't you see. I do know and I can't stand it." Elena rushed forward, grabbing Bonnie before she could back away from her again. "I can't stand the thought of you hurting. I can't stand the thought of you feeling the way I did. You are the last person in the world I'd wish a pain like that on. I handled things badly. I know I did. But don't shut me out. Please don't push me away." She wrapped her arms around her friend. Vowing silently not to let go no matter how hard Bonnie struggled.

"Elena…" Bonnie said the other's girls name on a choked sob. "I don't want to be mad at you anymore. So just let me hate him. Please. Because, I think, if I don't I might hate myself. I might hate-"

"Shh,"Elena quickly soothed. Because she thought she could go the rest of her life without hearing what she knew Bonnie was about to say. If she didn hate Damon, she might hate Elena. Feeling her best friend's body tremble this way, Elena held her tighter. She wouldn't allow it, she wouldn't be able to take it, if Bonnie hated her. Not Bonnie. So she knew, in that moment, whatever was cooking in that head of Damon's was someone elses problem. Because she couldn't lose her sister. Not for anything in the world.

* * *

**AN: Ard and Eph are from a poem by Ann Kingsmill Finch titled _Friendship Between Ephelia and Ardelia_. It'll come up again later, because it really does fit them.**


	5. Chapter 5

**I disclaim. I own nothing.**

**AN: If you thought the last chapter was long...but I had a lot to cover. No Damon, he's back in the next chapter. Again reviews and alerts just really makes writting this story so much easier. And I'd really like to hear what everyone thinks about this chapter as I kind of start to add my own mythology (which is basically a combination of TVD and the Sookie Stackhouse novels). Anyway, I'll stop rambling now.**

**Chapter 5**

It all started when they were kids, babies actually to hear Grams tell it:

"_You both were about four months old. As you know, his mother was a student of mine. She was in such a state, standing at my door with a crying baby she didn't know what to do with." Grams had been standing in front of the kitchen sink, gazing out the window as if seeing that day so long ago. "I thought he was gonna scream the house down."_

"_Is that when…"_

"_Oh, it must have just been awful for him. All that pain for such a little ol'thing."_

"_What did you do for him?"_

_Grams' smile was slow. "It wasn't me, darlin. It was you."_

"_Me?"_

"_Your Mama brought you by. Wanted to show you off in this adorable little tutu your aunt sent. You were some kind of beautiful, baby. Tyler knew it, too, as he took one look at you and clamed right up."_

"_Grams," Bonnie laughed. "We were just babies."_

"_Well, your not now. And your still beautiful. Isn't that right, Tyler?"_

_Bonnie turned, though she hadn't heard him come in, she couldn't say she was surprised to see him standing there._

"_She'll do."_

Although they both had their doubts about the story Grams told of their first meeting, Tyler and Bonnie accepted that they're friendship was formed while they were still in diapers. They, as Grams often said, got along like '_pigs in slop'_. It was a comparison that Bonnie often turned her nose up at but Tyler found funny.

It was true, though Bonnie never bothered denying, that Tyler was terribly spoiled. He didn't like to share, Grams always said he'd never been taught how. As a child he hated to share Bonnie, because when they were at Grams' together he didn't have to. So when they found themselves some place else together he decided he simply didn't _want_ to. Which was one of the reasons, Caroline and Elena never particularly liked him.

What they didn't understand was how hard it was for him. During the town meetings-the ones Grams would secretly refer to as 'witch hunts'-Bonnie, Elena, Caroline, and Tyler were the only children dragged along. It was the age in which Caroline and Elena had absolutely no use for boys and the games boys liked to play. And they especially didn't like the moody Tyler Lockwood and his desire to do anything that involved climbing something and subsequently jumping off of it. The only thing he enjoyed more then climbing and jumping was Bonnie watching him climb and jump. As long as Elena and Caroline were around wanting to play dolls, her attention wasn't focused primarily on him.

Things got easier when they started Kindergarten and met Matt:

"_Hi." Matt was all curly blonde hair and big blue eyes when he approached Tyler at the cubbies on the first day of school. "I'm Matt."_

_The complete opposite of the laid back little boy beside him, Tyler merely mumbled a 'hi' in response. Turning his head slightly he glared at the three girls giggling together in the corner._

_Matt followed his gaze. The proud big brother of a completely annoying little sister he rolled his eyes. "Girls." This was spoken with all the disdain a five year old boy could have for a girl. "They're so stupid."_

"_Bonnie's not stupid." Tyler turned back to glare at Matt. "She's mine. So you better leave her alone."_

_Matt's eyes widened, because honestly the other boy looked really scary just then. But just as quickly one of the little girls skipped over to them and the other boy's whole demeanor changed._

"_Isn't this great, Ty. Me, you, Elena, and Caroline being in the same class. And you were scared we wouldn't be together."_

_Tyler blushed a bright red. "I wasn't scared." The glare only succeeded in making Bonnie giggle and he couldn't help but to smile as well._

"_Did you make a new friend already?"_

_Tyler glanced at the other boy and smiled. Surprising them both by throwing his arm around the blonde's shoulder. "Yup. He's my best friend."_

_Whatever he was planning to do, it appeared he did exactly the opposite as Bonnie's smile fell almost instantly. "I guess you're going to sit with him then, huh?"_

"_No." Just as quickly he shoved the boy away. "I'm sitting with you, he can sit with Elena."_

_The smile was back in place, though it wavered a bit. "What about Caroline? Who's she gonna sit with?"_

_Tyler frowned. "Who cares?"_

For a long time after that first day, Tyler had absolutely no use for Matt. Until he discovered the other boy loved to do all the same things that he did. And Tyler found he didn't mind sharing so much after all. But there was one thing, Tyler made sure the other boy understood was off limits.

"_Now you can have Elena or Caroline, but not Bonnie. She's mine, so you have to leave her alone. Swear it."_

_Matt, seven and still no closer to figuring out what the hell Tyler's deal was, could only frown at the other boy. "Bonnie's not yours. She's a person, you can't own people."_

"_Yeah-huh, she's mine. Grams told me. Now you say she's mine and swear never to take her."_

"_Alright fine. She's yours, I won't take her." Matt watched as Tyler's whole body relaxed. "Can you un-pause the game now?" He gestured to the TV screen impatiently._

Their friendships continued to grow, the five of them continued to stay together. Even when they began to grow in different directions. Puberty was…odd. They were all straddled precariously on that line between being kids and young adults. The only one who seemed to have it figured out was Caroline, who'd situated herself firmly on the young adult side of the line.

"_What did you say to me, Matt Donovan?" Not nearly as threatening as she thought she was, Elena glared adorably into Matt's smiling face. The smile was doing funny things to her stomach, that she tried to ignore in favor of impressing him with her ability to climb a tree. Because for some reason, Elena's entire reason for being lately was to impress Matt Donovan._

"_I said girls can't climb trees."_

"_We can, too, climb trees." Elena argued. "Girls can do whatever boys can do. It's boys that can't do everything that girls can."_

"_Like what?" Matt and Tyler, who was half way up the tree in Elena's front yard, asked simultaneously._

"_Have babies." All three girls answered._

"_So. Boys can pee standing up." Matt tossed back out. "Girls can't do that."_

"_Yes we can." _

"_We just choose not to." Caroline smirked from her place on the front lawn. As far as she was concerned this whole argument was stupid. There was nothing fun about climbing a tree, and there was no way to look cute doing it. So, okay, maybe it was a little cool the way Tyler scurried up that tree like a monkey ninja. But still, Caroline didn't see the appeal of actually doing it herself._

"_My Grams said anything a boy can do that a girl can't it's because she doesn't want to."_

"_Well you can't climb this tree because I said so." Tyler shouted from somewhere near the top of the tree._

"_You can't tell me what to do, Tyler." Elena shouted back, though she kept her glare trained on a laughing Matt._

"_I wasn't talking to _you_. I don't care what you do, Elena. I was talking to, Bonnie."_

_Obviously this turned out to be the absolute wrong thing to say, because after a bit of back and forth that got neither of them anywhere, Bonnie began to climb the tree. She was actually doing pretty good, until she got halfway up and looked back down. Panic struck and she slipped._

"_Bonnie!" Everyone screamed._

_All eyes on the girl dangling from the tree, no one saw the speed at which Tyler got to her. Nor did they notice how he effortlessly he pulled her up._

"_Hold on to me, Bunny." The words were spoken through clenched teeth, but Bonnie wrapped her arms around his neck and held tightly as Tyler got them both out of the tree. When their feet touched the ground, Bonnie would have continued to hold on to him. Her legs were shaking so badly she was afraid she'd fall down without his support. But Tyler angrily pulled out of her arms._

"_That was really stupid, Bunny. Why couldn't you just listen to me! Instead of stupid Elena and stupid Caroline!"_

_The other to girls were so shocked by his outburst they let the insults pass without a word._

_Bonnie frowned. She was use to Tyler's fits, use to him glaring at everyone, but what she wasn't use to was all that anger being directed at _her_. "Ty."_

"_I'm going home." He announced before she could say anything else, turning on his heels he ran as quickly as he could in the other direction._

_Matt had offered to go after him. Reasoning that in this mood, Tyler often started swinging at people, and if that happened he could take the punch better then one of the girls. Part of Bonnie wanted to let him go, she'd never seen Tyler like that, and for the first time ever found herself afraid of him. But she kept hearing her Grams voice, telling her she was strong, that she was the strongest Bennett woman to ever exist, and while she wasn't entirely sure what to do with that, she took it to mean that she shouldn't be afraid of anything. So with a mental squaring of her shoulders, she told Matt she would go, and set off after Tyler. Instinctively she knew where he was. When Tyler was upset he always found his way to one of two places._

"_I was wondering how long it would take you to get here."_

_If Bonnie thought Tyler glaring at her was horrible, that disapproving look on her Grams face was worse. "Ty's mad at me."_

"_I saw that for myself."_

"_Ty's never been mad at me before. It…" Bonnie trailed off because she really didn't have words to describe the twisting in her gut at the thought of Tyler not speaking to her._

"_Doesn't feel too good does it?" Sheila held out her hand, pulling Bonnie down on the step besides her. "Well, what Tyler's feeling isn't so great either. You scared him, baby. Scared me too, just hearing about it."_

_Bonnie looked horror-stricken. "You're not mad at me, too, are you." She didn't think she could handle Tyler _and _her Grams being mad at her. Not ever, but especially not at the same time._

"_No, baby, I'm not mad. I'm not a twelve year old boy either." She wrapped her arm around Bonnie's shoulder, pulling the girl to her side. "There's a lot of strange things happening to Tyler's body right now."_

"_Grams." Bonnie blushed, not even sure why the mention of Tyler's body made her palms sweat._

"_There's a lot of strange things happening to your body, too." Sheila continued, as if she hadn't heard her granddaughter. "And a lot's going on that you don't fully understand right now. Seeing you in danger scared, Tyler. Scared him in a way he didn't understand, so Tyler did what Tyler does best."_

"_He got mad." Bonnie concluded. "I'm sorry I scared him. I didn't mean to."_

"_I'm not the one you need to be telling that to. He's in the back. Go on, now, before he works up another head of steam."_

"_Thanks Grams." Bonnie shot through the house quickly, because she knew Tyler's second explosions were always worse then his first. She expected to see him prowling the yard or beating the trunk of a tree with a stick. So was completely unprepared to see him sitting on the back step with his face buried in his knees. "Ty?"_

_At the sound of her voice, Tyler jumped to his feet. His hands wiped frantically at his eyes before he turned to face her. "Everybody go home?"_

"_I don't know." Cautiously, Bonnie slid open the back door and stepped out. "I came to find you. I'm sorry, Ty. I didn't mean to scare you. I didn't mean to-" Her words were cut off when he rushed over and wrapped her in a hug so tight she could barely breathe. But she didn't complain. Because if Tyler was hugging her, then Tyler wasn't mad at her. Which meant all was right in her world._

Ten seconds later it was like the fight had never occurred. They were friends again, closer actually then they had been an hour earlier. Several years passed before their next big fight. When Bonnie after spending months helping Elena, learned that Tyler was sleeping with Vickie Donovan, found herself so jealous she could hardly breathe. And since she thought she'd die and go to hell before ever admitting that to anyone, she thought the best way for her to handle it was to simply stop talking to him. She wasn't exactly proud of herself, knew she had no right to deny Tyler a girlfriend. But the fact was, she'd been his number one for as far back as she could remember. And petty or not, Bonnie did not like being replaced.

What was worse, was that she knew he was selling himself short. Knew he was running around with Vickie because that's what everyone expected of him. And frankly Bonnie was getting sick of wanting more for him then he wanted for himself. So for two weeks, she ignored him. Didn't take his calls, didn't go to her Grams' when she knew he'd be there, didn't even look his way in school. Allowing Tyler two weeks to become so angry that by the time he climbed through her window he could hardly form words.

One hour they spent shouting at one another. It seemed only right that the mood in her bedroom was so easily reflected in the violent storm blowing through her open window.

"_And what did I tell you about this window." Tyler shouted. "I told you to keep it locked or else any creep could crawl through."_

"_Any creep did." Bonnie tossed back._

_Tyler's face became absolutely murderous. "Who! It was that Noah kid, wasn't it. I've seen him looking at you. Well, he's dead now!"_

"_I was talking about you, stupid." And as his face went from anger to confusion, Bonnie couldn't keep the smile from forming on her lips. "You lied to me."_

"_No…Bunny…I never, I'd never lie to you."_

"_I asked if you had a girlfriend and you told me no."_

_For a moment Tyler honestly had no idea what she was talking about._

"_Vickie Donovan, Ty."_

"_Vickie is not my girlfriend." He actually laughed off the idea._

"_So, what, she's just sex. She's Matt's little sister, Ty. And she's had a thing for you, for like…ever."_

"_She knew what she was getting into."_

"_Doesn't make it right." When he merely shrugged his shoulders, she marched across the room and shoved him. "Would you stop that? I know you and you're not this guy."_

_Dejectedly he dropped onto her bed. "Everyone knows I'm this guy."_

_Not letting up, Bonnie moved until she was kneeling in front of him. She waited until his eyes met hers. "_I_ know that you're not."_

That night marked another change in their relationship as he broke things off with Vickie the next day. There may have been a new underlining tension between them, but they both made the effort to ignore it. Because they started changing in other ways. Bonnie became aware of who she was, growing into the powers she never believed she had. And Tyler, grew into the curse he'd never asked for.

The night he appeared on her Grams walk, he'd been so scared, so desperate for her to help him understand. Grams had tried to prepare them, had tried to explain to them what would happen. There had been clues, like the time Tyler got them both out of that tree with little to no effort, or how he could find her during hide and seek because he could smell her. And Bonnie, how the weather could reflect her mood or sometimes she could see things before they happened. But…witches and werewolves…it was…unimaginable. Or so they thought.

"_I think Grams was right, Bunny." His voice was so tight, like he was just barely hanging on to his control. "There's something happening to me."_

"_You think it's what Grams said."_

_Tyler could only nod. "Help me."_

"_Ty," She had to stand on her toes, but it didn't stop her from wrapping her arms around his neck. "Of course. You didn't even have to ask."_

They'd gone to Grams, because if anyone knew anything it was Grams. Bonnie had thought he'd want to have that conversation alone, but he held her hand tightly as Grams explained what was happening to him.

"_Weres, especially wolves, are notoriously…private. Biting, bringing someone over, is not generally accepted."_

_Tyler brought Bonnie's hand to his mouth, absently brushing his lips across her knuckles. "Am I going to be a monster. Will I hurt people." His eyes widened in horror. "Will I hurt Bonnie."_

_Grams smiled, pleased at something they weren't quite aware of. "You won't hurt Bonnie. You chose her, as a baby, so you can't hurt her."_

"_Am I going to be like half dog half man like…Barf from Space Balls."_

"_Yours is a special case, Tyler. Your father is a pure blood werewolf, but your mother isn't a were at all despite having to pure blood parents. It's not unheard of, but it happens. Your father wasn't aware of that when they married and was…less then pleased when he found out. He didn't want to wait to find out if you would change or not. So he bit you, he changed you as a baby. Because you were so young, your body accepted, adapted to the changes. So it's like you were born, instead of bitten. And because of that, you'll be a wolf."_

_Bonnie leaned over until the tip of her nose touched his cheek. "I always wanted a dog."_

_Tyler smiled, relaxing his body against Bonnie's so that now they sat huddled together like they had when they were children. "Will it hurt?"_

"_I'm sorry, sweetie. But don't be afraid, you won't go through it alone." Grams gave him a warm smile. "And I know it's kind of hard to believe now, but everything will work out. You'll see."_

And it did. Because he was Ty and she was Bunny and Grams always said there was nothing they couldn't get through when they were together.

* * *

"Hi, Mrs. Lockwood." Bonnie put on a polite smile despite the fact that she was surprised to see the 'First Lady' of Mystic Falls answering her own door. And sober. "Is Ty-"

"In his room pouting. Whatever you two are squabbling about, I hope you resolve it soon." She stepped back to allow Bonnie to enter. "He's been positively unbearable."

Bonnie nodded, though she wasn't entirely aware she and Ty were 'squabbling'. Obviously she knew he was going through something, but it never crossed her mind he was angry at her about something. Either way, she'd get it out of him today

"Oh, Bonnie. I just wanted to say…I'm terribly sorry about Sheila." Sadness clouded her vision momentarily before she resolutely pushed it back. "What she did for Tyler…"

Bonnie was surprised that the woman was even bringing it up, as the Lockwoods' liked to pretend there was nothing wrong with their son. Especially considering the little council they headed.

"And me." Mrs. Lockwood continued. "She was the only professor I had who didn't pass me just to get rid of me, expected more from me. She was a remarkable woman."

"Thank," Bonnie's voice caught, because these were words from the last source she expected them. "Thank-you. She thought highly of you, too."

Mrs. Lockwood gave a watery laugh. "She'd be about the only one. Now you go on up and make my son happy. God knows you're the only one who can."

When she turned and marched determinedly towards the parlor, Bonnie knew Mrs. Lockwood's sobriety would be gone the next time they saw each other. Taking the stairs two at a time, Bonnie moved quickly through the second floor and to Tyler's bedroom. She'd always hated this house. And she was never quite sure if she was feeding off of Tyler's feelings for the place or just her own impressions. But she barely got half way up the hall when Tyler poked his head out of his bedroom.

"Hey, Bunny." Because he knew just how much she hated the place he met her in the hall, took her hand in his, and lead her back to his bedroom. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, when you didn't come home-I mean back last night I was worried." She didn't allow him to pull his hand away, just held tightly as she lowered them both to the bed.

Guilt came swiftly and he did everything but look her in the eyes. "Oh, uh, I just figured with you talking to Caroline and Elena again, you might…not…you know."

"Since when has my being friends with Caroline and Elena meant I didn't need you. Ty," Dropping his hand she cupped his face in her hands. "Don't do this to me now. Not now, please. I know that I've been really dependent on you and I've probably been getting on your-"

"No." Tyler quickly interrupted, his own hand coming up to cup her cheek. "Whatever you're thinking you just stop that right now. I'll come back, okay. I'll come home." And it just seemed so right to call her house his home. "I just thought," That she had Elena and Caroline and didn't give him another thought. "You needed time with, you know, your girls. I was just, you know, trying to be the stand-up guy."

Bonnie gave a watery laugh. "You were being the 'jealous guy'. You loved her like I did, you're missing her like I am. Caroline and Elena are my girls, but this time _I _need _you_. You found me when no one else could."

Tyler shook his head. "It's not exactly fair, I could smell you." He could always smell her, even when she wasn't around. "So I knew you were there the whole time."

"No," She rubbed her cheek against the palm of his hand. "That's not what I meant."

When the tear slowly rolled down her cheek to the tip of his thumb, it took all of Tyler's willpower not to brush it away with his lips. "You…are so…fucking beautiful."

Bonnie's breathe caught at the intensity of his words, reflected plainly in his dark heated eyes. And for a moment she was lost, in the familiarity and love she saw. In the fantasies and dreams he opened up to her. And just as quickly she broke the connection, moving swiftly off the bed and to the door. "Thank-you. You're not so bad yourself."

Tyler noticed her strained smile, knew immediately what she was trying to do. Part of him wanted to push, to make her finally see-really see-what he felt for her. What he's known since he was ten was inside of him for her. But she wasn't in the right place, pushing too fast this way, could push her right out of his life. And Tyler didn't think he wanted a life that didn't have Bonnie in it. "I'm hot." He wiggled his eyebrows at her playfully. "Ask the girls at school. What do you say, I pack a bag, and we go home."

Biting back her bottom lip, Bonnie nodded. Glad for the reprieve he was giving her. Glad to be able to put aside, for another day, the feelings that had been growing inside of her for him.


	6. Chapter 6

**I disclaim. I own nothing.**

**AN: Harsh language in this chapter. **

**Chapter 6**

Damon was tired. Dead, down to the bone tired. It was a feeling that hadn't been known to him in more than a hundred years. As a man, Damon didn't know how to stop, how to deny himself the things he wanted. As the demon, he didn't see the necessity of it. He was immortal, a god. All that he wanted was his for the taking. And Damon had become a glutton in his after life. And he'd done it all for _her_. Katherine.

That bitch.

She'd taken everything from him. She'd made him fall in love with her, made herself all that mattered to him. He worshipped her, wanted just a second, a moment, an eternity with her. And she was fucking his brother. Compelled Stefan to love her, when Damon gave his love freely. The things he'd done for her. The things he'd been willing to do for her.

A hundred and forty-five years of…and all for her. He'd lost everything. Because he thought he mattered to her. Lost the one person he did matter to, even when he was at his worse Stefan thought there was more to him. But now, whatever his little brother thought was worth saving in him, well that was gone

What was worse, was the pain. God, when he'd gone in that tomb to find her gone….he thought, _hoped_ she'd been dead. Really dead, this time. Because if she was dead, he could rage, he could burn the hell hole that was Mystic Falls to the ground. He could make everyone suffer the way he was suffering. But then Anna told him the truth, Katherine was out there, just fucking living it up. And not giving him a second thought. Damon couldn't remember a time when he'd _hurt_ that way.

His father had been right. Stefan had been right. And Damon 'devil may care' Salvatore had been played for a fucking bitch. And the pain was unbearable.

Then Elena, sweet Katherine doppelganger, Elena told him to watch Bonnie. It was some silly teenage girl bullshit she was trying to peddle, but Damon found himself taking her advice. So he watched Bonnie and he plotted. Plotted to take Elena from Stefan, make her love him as he loved Katherine. Because he was just plain sick of everything working out for St. Stefan. But somewhere along the way that plan fell to the wayside as he spent more time with his little witch then Elena.

Bonnie's pain was…intoxicating. She wasn't able to control her powers. Lights flashed, the heavens opened, the ground moved; anything was possible when Bonnie was in the middle of one of her crying jags. Even from where he watched outside her bedroom window, he could smell her blood. The power, the innocence, the grief, the anger and hatred. He could have spent days wallowing in it.

Sometimes it would be a bit much. The way she'd so openly hurt, missing the grandmother she loved so much, it hit a little close. And Damon would find himself jetting off. Hitting up old spots, tapping old resources in an attempt to find Katherine. To end her. Convinced her death would be the only way to make his pain end. After a few days he'd find himself…missing his witch. Missing the wonderful scent of her blood.

The problem was, whenever he came back, the dog was just a little closer. The little fleabag had been a thorn in Damon's side since he was a kid. There'd been times when Bonnie had still been little more then a baby, Damon had considered approaching her. Sometimes he even considered taking her, compelling her before she fully came into her powers, and molding her impressionable young mind and heart to be loyal only to him. But whenever he was around the ankle-bitter would grab hold of Bonnie and pull her away.

It was worse now, however, as the kid actually thought he could replace Damon as Bonnie's protector. Whenever Damon came by to check on his little witch the bastard was there and growing increasingly more comfortable. Damon swore if he looked inside that house one more time to see Tyler fucking Lockwood cuddling on the couch with Bonnie, he was setting the place on fire to get them out.

So between hunting down his bitch of an ex, trying to steal Elena from Stefan, and stalk-protecting Bonnie, Damon was just tired. Sure, he may have been able to cut one of those things out, but trouble just happened to Bonnie, Stefan needed to be taken down a step, and torturing Katherine was what was best for everyone.

Okay so maybe, in recent weeks, he slacked off on trying to steal Elena. But Elena was all about 'helping him' and 'talking about his feelings' and silly teenage girl shit like that. And hunting down Katherine took him away from Mystic falls and who knew the kind of trouble could happen with him gone. Plus last time he left Tyler was sleeping on Bonnie's couch, by the time Damon came back the fucker was in her bed.

For a while he decided to stay a little closer to home. Then the…happiness started. Once Bonnie let her friends back in, the cutesy/cuddly/couply shit that Damon just could not stand started. And everyone was just so fucking happy, all the fucking time.

Well, not Bonnie; not entirely. Poor little Bonnie still cried herself to sleep at night, unfortunately it was in the arms of the mongrel. And as bad as it was to see the boy with her, for some reason it bothered him even more to see her with the wolf.

He'd never forget the night he showed up at her house. It was two days after Sheila Bennett died. No one had seen much of Bonnie, Damon had heard _all_ about that from Elena. So when he landed in a tree across from the house, he was surprised to see Bonnie out on the front porch. It may have been the first time he realized how pretty she was. Her feet were bare, the basketball shorts and T-shirt she wore several sizes too big, and a faint smile playing on her lips as she floated a few stones above her hand.

It was the first time he'd seen her use her power this way, for no other reason then to amuse herself. Something stirred the air, they felt the change at the same time. Probably picked up the movement in the shadows at the same time as well. But Damon knew he saw it first. The eyes gold and bright against fur so black it appeared to be the shadows moving. It was no bigger then any other wolf Damon had seen. Though he figured an average size wolf was more than enough to scare a human. But not the witch. Not his witch.

As Damon watched, Bonnie's entire body relaxed as the wolf made it's way out of the shadows. It bounded up to her like some kind of domesticated puppy, body trembling in excitement when her arms came around him. At first Damon told himself he was offended for the wolf; a kick ass animal like that being treated like fucking Lassie. Kept telling himself that when Bonnie kissed the muzzle and in return the wolf slid it's tongue along her neck. The crow gave an angry caw and he would have sworn that damn dog gave him a smug look. Was just about to go down there, when Bonnie stood up and walked back into the house the wolf following happily at her heels. He'd never wanted to drain an animal so badly in his life.

* * *

"A project. A freaking project." Completely dejected, Caroline dropped into a chair at the Grill. "I don't know about you guys but I'm finding that Alaric's hotness is really starting to be overshadowed by his stupid assignments."

"Yeah," Stefan began, face absolutely serious as he held out a chair for Elena before taking one for himself. "I don't think he's any where near as hot as he use to be."

Elena laughed as she leaned into her boyfriend's side. For a moment she just took in the atmosphere. Caroline and Matt sitting across from them, getting their cuddle on before Matt had to start his shift. And Tyler actually behaving like a gentleman, pulling up a couple extra chairs for him and Bonnie. This is what she'd pictured high school to be like, maybe not exactly this way, but a variation of it. And she just hoped they could get to the end of the school year with no other tragedies. "Well, at least we can work in pairs. That's something, right."

"No." Caroline pouted. "You and Bonnie are going to pair up, then Tyler and Matt, leaving me without a partner. Again."

Stefan leaned over to Bonnie, who was just to his right. "Because I'm not even sitting here."

Bonnie smiled at his comment, she really liked Stefan's dry sense of humor. "Come on, Caroline. Matt's your boyfriend-"

"He was also Elena's boyfriend when she paired up with you." Caroline pointed out. "Or, wait, did we all decide to couple partner without me being fully aware of it."

Absolutely taken with her, Matt smiled at his girlfriend. "Actually, we hadn't really decided. If you hadn't been so busy mourning the declining hotness of Elena's future uncle, you'd have known that."

"Shut up, Matt." Elena huffed while throwing a sugar packet at his head. "So are we picking or-"

"Bonnie's mine." Tyler declared, causing everyone save Stefan and Bonnie-who both just smiled-to laugh at him.

"So you've been saying since we were five." Matt clapped his friend on the shoulder. "Good luck there, Bon. Trust me, you'll need it."

"Eh," Lifting her arm, Bonnie patted Tyler's cheek. "He'll do okay."

Matt gave his watch a glance. "My shifts about to start." He gave Caroline a quick kiss on the lips.

"Aw." This from Elena.

"So cute." From Bonnie.

"Dude, seriously." Tyler.

Blushing, practically to the tips of his ears, Matt muttered a quick. "Shut up." Before walking away from the table.

"Hey," Tyler gave Bonnie's hair an absent tug, to gain her attention. "So you want to grab a bite here?"

"I'm not hungry. And I'm kind of over take out."

"Well, what do you want to do for dinner then?"

Bonnie made a restless movement with her shoulders. "I don't know. I think we're going to have to suck it up and-"

"Don't say it, Bunny." Tyler whined as he buried his face in her neck.

"Sorry, Ty. But we're going to have to go grocery shopping."

Caroline, who kept her gaze narrowly focused on them throughout the entire exchanged, frowned at where she thought this conversation lead to. "So wait. Are you two, like, living together now?"

"Ty just stays while my Dad's gone." Bonnie answered simply.

"Bonnie, your Dad is always gone." Elena pointed out needlessly. She didn't know how she felt about this. Bonnie swore that nothing was going on between her and Tyler but it was kind of hard to believe when you saw them together. Like now, and the way Tyler kept his face buried in her neck and Bonnie continued on like there was nothing out of the ordinary about it.

"He's home like three days a month." Caroline added

"It's not his fault he has a job that keeps him away, okay." Always defensive when it comes to her father, Bonnie snapped the words out. "Besides, there's no point in him changing things now when I'm so close to going off to college. It's not really fair to ask him to give up his job when I plan on going to school out of state and leaving him in that big empty house alone."

Caroline and Elena said nothing. They knew where those words had come from. Could practically hear Mr. Bennett reciting them to his daughter as he packed another bag for another long trip away. He always had excuses, justifications for why he couldn't be with his daughter. And Bonnie always lapped them up and tossed them back out to her friends whenever they even attempted to criticize him.

But Tyler didn't have the same restraint. Sitting up, he leaned forward on the table to address Elena and Caroline "And doesn't she like having nice things. How do you think she got that car? Six pairs of two hundred dollar boots and whatever else that strikes her fancy. Didn't he buy her a big fancy TV with those toys kids play with now days to help her through Grams' death."

"Stop it, Ty." Bonnie snapped out. "Just lay off him, okay." She stood up so fast, she nearly knocked her chair over. "He's doing the best he can." And with that she turned and determinedly marched away from the table.

Caroline and Elena both gave each other worried glances, then looked at Tyler who only slouched down in his chair. "Well, aren't you going to go after her." Caroline pressed when it didn't look like Tyler would move.

"I will." Tyler ran his hands roughly over his face and through his hair. His heart hammering in his chest, like he could actually feel Bonnie's anger. He hated when she was mad at him, hated when he let his mouth run away from him. But he hated even more to hear her defend someone she was an afterthought to. "I just…I always push too far on this."

"You think." Elena agreed as she glanced towards the restrooms, knowing that's where her friend disappeared to. "Maybe I should go after her."

"No," Tyler shook his head. "I will. Just give her a minute."

***&&&***

"Hi, Bonnie."

Running into Damon Salvatore anywhere was not ideal, but running smack dab into him coming out of the ladies room was probably the last thing Bonnie felt like dealing with at the moment. What she hated even more was the fact that he caught her off guard causing her to jump; she never wanted to show weakness in front of him. She'd never again give him that kind of power over her.

Forcing herself to stand straighter, Bonnie tossed her hair back, and looked Damon directly in his eyes. "Damon. I'm not really in the mood to have the mind fire/dead vampire conversation with you again. So," She started to push pass him, but he was infinitely faster then she and blocked her way.

Damon smiled-not smirked-down at the pulsing anger in her green eyes. Because really, if Bonnie was radiant in her grief she was truly magnificent in her anger. "You don't want to set me on fire little witch." He crowded her space, expecting her to back away, but she held her ground. Pleasing him to no end by doing so.

"Yes," Bonnie leaned forward. "I really do."

The grin on Damon's face could only be described as 'shit-eating' when she pressed her hand to his chest. He wondered if, because of her natural affinity to fire, her hands were always so warm. And because he was too deep in thoughts regarding those warm hands he missed the intent in her eyes and was surprised when he felt a sudden pressure that shoved him back several steps.

So surprised was he, Bonnie nearly got to the end of the hallway before he grabbed her roughly and pulled her back. Slamming her against the wall he pressed his body close to hers. "Did you know the scent of your blood is stronger when you use your powers. I bet it taste sweeter, too." Pressing his face to her neck, he inhaled deeply. When he pulled back his eyes were dark and the veins were prominent around his eyes. "You smell like that fucking dog. It's almost enough to turn me off. Almost, but not quite." He let his fingers glide down her cheek. "Does your daddy know his baby girl is sharing her bed with teen wolf?" His grin was decidedly nasty-especially with the demon front and center-at the fear that flashed quickly in her eyes.

"Jealous Damon? We all have someone to warm our bed while your vamp bitch is out cooling everyone else's." Something like pain flashed across his face and she smiled. Because she wanted to hurt him. And she realized he was right, she didn't want to set him on fire. That would be too easy, too good for him. She wanted to inflict on him the pain he caused everyone else. "Or maybe it's the knowledge that to our partners we mean more then just the convenient fuck you were to Katherine."

With an angry growl, Damon roughly grabbed her shoulders, and shoved her back against the wall. He wanted to bite her, to feel that silky skin give under his fangs. To drag her out in the middle of the restaurant and force the dog to watch as he fed and forced his own blood down her throat in exchange. She did this to him. Clouded his mind, made him crazy, so that all he could think to do was fuck and feed.

"Get off her."

Damon felt himself being thrown into the opposite wall, regrouping quickly to stare into Tyler Lockwood's angry gaze. The boys dark brown eyes were now a tawny-gold. Stefan was there as well, blocking the hallway from anyone who passed. He assumed Elena was back at the table keeping Caroline happily clueless.

"What are you doing here, Damon." Stefan asked. He hadn't seen his brother in days. And really the last time he did see him, it was in the form of the crow perched outside Bonnie's house.

"None of your damn business, Stefan." Damon answered smoothly. "You should house train your dog, Bonnie." Though his voice was calm, his body was tensed and ready for a fight. "Someone might have to take a newspaper to his nose."

Bonnie moved until she stood between the two, pressing her small body back against Tyler's, her hands cuffing his wrist at his sides. "I'd like to see you try to touch him."

And there it was, Damon thought as lust flowed like a living thing through his body. That blind loyalty, that willingness to take on anything for those she loved. He wanted that. He wanted Bonnie's loyalty, Bonnie's passion, Bonnie's power for his own. He could feel it all, practically taste it in the air. She was stronger then the last time he'd seen her and growing stronger still. It was such a shame she was willing to waste it on the undeserving.

"Maybe I had it wrong with you being a dog." The smirk was back, directed squarely at Tyler. "Because only a pussy would be spending nights bent over a grimoire with her and not…bent over her."

Tyler growled and shoved forward, but Bonnie held her ground, knowing he wouldn't run over her. "Who says he's not?"

These words caught all three men completely by surprise. Their glares going from each other to stare wide-eyed at her. Then Stefan struggled with being uncomfortable and proud of the little witch. Tyler quickly schooled his features, to reflect Bonnie's and fought the urge to ask if she meant it. And Damon had to remind himself that he _knew_ that she was lying. Still didn't stop the veins around his eyes from pulsing.

"Careful little witch."

"Go to hell, Damon." Bonnie tossed back. With a squeeze of her hands around his wrist, she had Tyler following her out of the narrow hall-way.

"Whatever you're thinking, Damon." Stefan began when Bonnie and Tyler were out of earshot. "Stop it. Bonnie-"

"Is mine." Damon finished. "You said it yourself, little brother. Emily gave her to me long before she was even born. I want to thank you for reminding me of that."

"What is this, you realize Katherine doesn't want you and you can't have Elena. So you decide Bonnie will do?"

"Nice little consolation prize." Damon wiggled his eyebrows before pushing his brother out of his way. "But no. That's not how I see her. I've had a lot of time-"

"Between benders, fucking, and feeding." His brother finished.

"You said it." Damon smiled as he approached the bar. "Scotch." He told the bartender before leaning back against the bar. "I've had some of my best epiphanies drunkenly draining writhing coeds. You should try it." He only laughed at his brother's disgusted look. "But what was I saying…oh yeah, my little Bonnie. She's loyal, loving, and powerful beyond expectation. And I, despite what you may think, am a few of those things myself. I could have done well by that bitch Katherine. I was even willing to do the same for that pale substitute you latched on to. Now, don't get all growly you're going to like where this is going." He continued quickly when his brother's face darkened. "Bonnie is what I made Katherine out to be."

"No," Stefan began slowly. "Bonnie is what Katherine turned out to be: not the least bit interested in you."

"You're adorable, no wonder Elena's crazy about you. Listen, this works for both of us. Because, eventually, you're going to turn Elena. You have to. Love is all well and good now when she's still…perky. But sooner rather then later, things are going to begin to sag and droop. And you and I both know, fucking old ladies isn't the fun it's made out to be."

"He's drunk." Stefan explained to the bartender who looked at the two brothers strangely.

"So, you're going to turn her." Damon continued as if the interruption never occurred. "But it won't be so bad, because by then I'll have turned her bestie. So you'll have Elena, I'll have my little Bonnie, and they'll have each other. Forever. It'll be great, for a little bit I'll have the old Stefan back. Because I think we've learned from that Vickie fiasco starting them out on animal blood just won't cut it."

For a long moment, Stefan could do no more then stare at his brother with abject terror. He was use to a lot with his brother, use to his ridiculous plans that often involved a trail of bodies. But this…this was a little much even for Damon. "You've finally snapped."

"That's the thing brother. I'm actually saner then I've been in a long time, a little scary isn't it." Placing one hand on his brother's shoulder, he used the other to lift the glass of scotch to his lips. "Now I'm gonna jet. Got a tip that Katherine spent some time down in Mexico. You keep an eye on my little witch." He leaned closer, as if sharing a confidence with his brother. "Because if I come back to find out she's fucking that dog, I'm…going to be…Pissed." He smiled over at her, pleased when she looked up at him. "Bye Bonnie." He called across the restaurant, only laughed when she rolled her eyes in disgust at him. "She's adorable, too, isn't she."

Stefan stood at the bar, shoulders tense as he watched his brother walk away. Damon was whistling, there was almost a skip in his step. This was scarier then the Damon who first came back to Mystic Falls. And he had no idea what to do about this.


	7. Chapter 7

**I own nothing. I disclaim.**

**AN: Writing this story I find myself listening to the same two songs over and over. For Bonnie/Tyler scenes 'Just Breathe' by Pearl Jam is on constant loop. Any time I write for Damon I listen to 'I Want You' by Elvis Costello. And I found that is this chapter if you listen to 'Just Breathe' starting at the line "Okay, but what are you going to tell her" it really works. It fits at the end of the chapter as well, if you start the song over at the pillow fight.**

**So to Sky Samuelle, new chapter but no Damon. Everyone else makes an appearance, but I don't know if that earns me an update of your fic or not.**

**Chapter 7**

"That was fast." For her own sanity Bonnie didn't look over at Tyler when he stepped into her bedroom as she knew he was likely still shirtless and rubbing the towel over his hair.

"There was like thirty seconds of hot water left," Tyler glanced over to the bed where Bonnie was propped against the headboard, knees bent so she could have somewhere to prop her Grams' grimoire. "Thanks for that, by the way."

The bed had already been stripped down; the quilt and sheets neatly folded in the small chest against the footboard. Between the two of them they pumped off enough heat that any covering at all was overkill.

"Sorry. Hey, Ty…we need to talk." When she looked at him, her vision was filled with broad shoulders, a beautiful chest, and abs that just…God, why was it always so hot in here. Hastily setting aside her Grams' grimoire, she climbed off the bed to open her bedroom window.

Tyler smiled, always pleased when she showed signs that acknowledge him as a guy and not just a friend. Grabbing a shirt, he tossed it over his shoulder on his way to the bed. Trying his best not to laugh at the look on her face when she turned and saw him.

Knowing she was being ridiculous, Bonnie averted her eyes to some point above his head. She couldn't very well go sit on the bed now. Not with him laid out so relax against the pillow all topless and freshly showered and sleepy-eyed and… Jesus, was it actually getting hotter. "I, uh, I just…"

"Bunny," Propping himself up on his elbow, Tyler moved the book to the bedside table before patting the spot on the bed next to him. "Come talk to me. The sooner you do, the sooner we can get back to studying."

"It's just," Trying to appear as natural as possible she lowered herself down on the bed besides him. "I'm going to tell Elena that you know about Stefan and Damon. That you know they're vampires. I'm not going to tell her what you are, I wouldn't do that. I'm sure Stefan's going to tell her what happened, anyway. It'll be easier then lying."

"Okay. But what are you going to tell her."

Bonnie made a restless movement with her shoulders. Usually lying was best when it closely mirrored the truth. But there was no tale she should spin to closely relate to Tyler noticing something off about the way the Salvatore Brothers smelled. "I'll think of something. Also, I wanted to apologize. For putting you on the spot earlier. With what I said about…you know…the two of us…being together." She tried to suppress the heat that rushed to her cheeks at the implication of her earlier outburst. Not understanding why she was more embarrassed now then she was when she first said it. "I put you in a tough spot, anyone could have over heard that and thought…"

"That I was the luckiest guy in school." Tyler gave her a teasing glare. "Shame on you, Bunny."

"Seriously. You already spent the last two months practically glued to my side. I'm sure, Caroline's probably told everyone that we're living together. Now this? It's okay to admit I'm a drain on your social life."

Tyler said nothing as he kept his eyes on her. Bonnie was absolutely beautiful, anyone with eyes could attest to that. Just a look from those green eyes could back the words up in your throat. But Tyler thought he preferred her like this. When she was in her Spongebob pajama short set, face scrubbed free of make-up, and hair pulled back in a messy ponytail. When she was just so fucking cute he could hardly stand it. Because it was like this, more then any other time, when she was just his Bunny. Just a little shy, a little reserved. So he smiled, because he knew it would irritate her. And irritating her had always been fun.

"You done?"

Bonnie narrowed her eyes at him. Both hating and loving that secret smile he wore. "Yeah."

"Good." He shifted until his back was against the headboard and reached for the grimoire. "Ready to get to work then?"

"That's all you're going to say?"

"Yup." Reaching forward, Tyler simply plucked her up and dropped her down between his legs facing away from him. "Now, stop sulking and focus. What are we working on?"

"I'm not sulking." Bonnie…well, sulked. But she picked up the grimoire and flipped through the pages. Her anger apparent in every sharp snap of the pages.

"Stop." He applied a bit of pressure to her shoulders until she lay with her back against his chest. "Deep breaths. In and out."

Reluctantly, Bonnie closed her eyes and matched her breathing to his. It was a routine, his way of making sure she was prepared before she started working on a spell. It helped, not only because it cleared her mind but it connected her to him. Allowing her to feed off his confidence in her.

"Better?"

Because she was so open to him, open to everything around her, she could do nothing against the shudder that wracked her system when his lips brushed against her ear. This is why she both loved and hated their nights together.

Two hours later Bonnie was pleasantly exhausted. The mental and emotional strain she put herself through shown in a light sheen of sweat glistening her skin. But the pleasure of her success-though not what she hoped for-was alight in her eyes. The pillow that they'd cut down the middle lay mangled, but intact between them.

It was the first night she tried a new spell. When she first started going through Grams' grimoire, Bonnie had wanted to work on every spell. But it was Tyler who convinced her to slow down, to be reasonable. She agreed without much of a fight. It was important for her to be strong, to be able to perform the most complex of spells without weakening.

It was slow work, but worth it. As she could light a candle in the next room without any strain. They'd spent weeks working on fire spells and it had all been worth it the first time she lit her Dad's grill without any accelerant. The only problem, really, was that working with fire sent her body temperature through the roof.

Tyler had actually been the one to do the extra research on that. As he stayed up several nights worrying that her increased body temperature would cause her to have a heat stroke or something. He called every name in her Grams' phonebook until he came across a witch willing to talk to him. And he'd been more then a little relieved when she told him it was normal for witches who's elements were fire or earth to run hotter then everyone else. As witches whose elements were water and air often times ran cooler. He'd been sleeping like a baby ever since.

In reading Emily's grimoire she learned to channel her powers through her hands. According to her ancestor, it was the best way for her to control her power until she was stronger. An invaluable skill as she could float things with relative ease, but the moment she tried to move them it went wrong. Channeling through her hands gave her better control, also allowed her to use greater force without worrying about sending the bed through the wall.

But it wasn't just the fire and telekinesis spells she learned that took so long. She was learning to expand on each spell, to manipulate them. To do whatever she wanted with fire, to move things about in whatever manner she saw fit, without strain. It wasn't enough that she know the spells, she wanted to master them. To be able to do what no witch before her could.

"So this is your pillow now, right?"

Too pleased with herself to even let his comment get to her, Bonnie let her fingers dance over the sloppy stitching. "I almost got it, Ty."

"Almost? Bunny, it was ripped open. Now it's not."

"It's not a basic repair spell, it's a little more complex then that, but I nearly got it. Just need a little more practice."

"Not tonight." Tyler reached for the T-shirt he tossed aside earlier.

"You don't have to." Bonnie gestured vaguely to the shirt. He never complained about her insistance that he wear a shirt to bed. But it had to be uncomfortable as they both pumped off heat like furnaces. As it was her pajamas got skimpier and skimpier to compensate for the heat, it wasn't exactly fair to ask him to suffer through it. "The heat is…insane." She tried not to read too much into how happy he was about this. "Which is not entirely a bad thing, the fact that my room is now a sauna has helped take off a few of the pounds all that takes out has put on."

Tyler tossed his shirt to the other side of the room. "I was meaning to tell you how fat you were getting." He returned dryly.

Deciding the pillow couldn't suffer too much more damage, she used it to swat at his head. Landing a couple good blows before he caught hold of the pillow and using her own momentum against her, pulled her to his chest.

With her so close, Tyler thought he may have over calculated a bit. It was never good for his control to have Bonnie so close. And it was actually hell on his control to have Bonnie, wearing next to nothing, laying in a bed so close to him. Practically on top of him if he wanted to get technical. And she smelled so good, like honey and roses, that he thought he'd go insane just from having her so close. "I'll let you go. But you have to promise to be good."

Bonnie couldn't have kept her gaze from falling to his lips if she wanted to. She wanted to kiss him. Wanted him to kiss her. Wanted so many things she didn't even know how to ask for. The feelings building so quick and so strong she thought she'd bust.

"Hey, hey." Tyler rubbed his hands over her back when the light in the bedside lamp began to surge. "You okay?"

"Yeah," She moved until she was settled on her side of the bed. "Power surge I guess, should probably turn that off." As her heart continued to race, she remained silent as the room went dark and she felt Tyler settle in next to her.

"Night, Bunny."

"Night, Ty." Bonnie didn't know how long she lay there, trying to ignore the fact that she was ridiculously attracted to one of her best friends. And had been for some time now. Which would make asking him to stay with her, in her room in her bed, one of her less then stellar ideas. But she didn't think she'd have been able to get through the last two months without him. Wasn't particularly sure she'd have gotten through the majority of her childhood without him. So, the last thing she wanted to do was jeopardize their friendship. Still, it didn't stop her from waiting until his breathing evened out to roll over and cuddle against him.

Only seconds after pressing her cheek against his naked back, Bonnie was asleep. With a smile tugging the corners of his lips, Tyler laced his fingers with the ones she rested on his chest and fell happily to sleep himself.

* * *

"So, Damon's face…" Elena kept her voice low as she leaned conspiratorially across the table towards her best friend. "Right there in front of Tyler."

Bonnie nodded, taking longer then absolutely necessary to chew her cereal bar. Altered timeline was better then an outright lie. So she told Elena how Damon flashed the game face yesterday at the Grill and that Tyler connected the dots from there. It was what was for the best, anyway. There was just no way to tell Elena that Tyler, from the first time he met the Salvatore brothers, thought they smelled of decay and knew something wasn't right about them. It wasn't her secret to tell.

"And he didn't freak out." Elena frowned when Bonnie shook her head. "How can you be sure he won't say anything?"

"Because I trust him. He knows I'm a witch and he hasn't uttered a word about that to anyone."

Elena visibly relaxed. "It's not really the same. He's crazy about you. Has been since we were three."

"He's not going to tell." Bonnie assured, deciding to ignore her friend's comment. "Besides, if Stefan isn't worried about it you shouldn't either."

Glancing over her shoulder, Elena followed Bonnie's gaze to the group of boys tossing around a football. She was actually surprised to see Stefan join them, but not as surprised as when Tyler had asked him to. She figured that was Bonnie's influence It was no secret that Tyler was close to a group of boys that were…less then ideal. Bonnie had been trying for a while now to steer him away from them. Encouraging a friendship between him and Stefan seemed to be a good way to do it.

The guys must have felt the girls' eyes on them, because Tyler and Stefan looked over and waved. Making both girls smile and wave in return.

"You know," Elena turned back with a teasing grin. "I never figured you'd be the first one with a live in boyfriend.

"Now you sound like, Caroline."

"That just means she's talking sense." Caroline said as she dropped her things on the table. Her face was brightly flushed and her hair was more then a little mused, clear signs that she and Matt had most definitely not been studying. "Especially if she was trying to get the dirt on you and Tyler."

"There's no dirt to get. Tyler and I are just friends."

"Oh get off it, Bonnie." Caroline rolled her eyes. She didn't have to look over her shoulder to know where her friend was looking. "Tyler is in love with you. According to Matt the football team has been giving him crap about it since freshman year. Now he's living with you."

"Deny your feelings all you want, but you can't deny his." Elena picked up seamlessly. "I mean, Bonnie he's putting up with us." She pointed between herself and Caroline. Tyler made no secret about the fact that he preferred for his time with Bonnie to just be him and Bonnie. "He didn't like hanging out with us when we were kids, he likes it even less now. But he's doing it, for you."

"Look, Tyler is…" Bonnie trailed off because she actually couldn't think of a word to accurately describe what he meant to her.

"Suffering." Caroline finished. "You're sharing a bed. He has to be suffering the torments of the damned."

"What?" Elena stared in disbelief at her best friend. "He's sleeping with you."

Bonnie glanced around nervously, hoping no one heard Elena's not so quiet outburst. She could have come up with some ridiculously flimsy excuse as to why Tyler shared her bed every night. Some she used to justify the arrangement to herself. But the simple truth was, "Sometimes…" She still woke up crying, still felt the loss of her Grams with every breath she took. "It just doesn't hurt as much when he's there."

"Then would it be so bad if something more were to happen?" Elena inquired.

It's not that she hadn't thought about. At twelve her fantasies involved holding hands and sitting together at lunch, now they were a little… or a lot more…well more. But they were older and he was gorgeous and she was only human. But, "Say something does happen between us, then we break up. What we have now would be over." It hurt simply thinking about not having Tyler in her life. "I can't risk that. I'm not going to risk losing Tyler for anything in the world."

***&&***

"This guy." Cort Brady, the lone freshman on the varsity team, called, drawing everyone's attention to Matt. "Finally making time away from his girlfriend to spend a little time with the boys. Doesn't matter than lunch is damn near over."

"Try getting a girlfriend, Cort." Matt commented easily as he caught the football Tyler tossed to him. "Then you wouldn't be so pissy about other guys making time with theirs."

"If you think I'm jealous of the way you and Salvatore are tied down, think again. I'm a proud student of the Tyler Lockwood school of 'loving 'em and leaving 'em'."

"Aw, look at how stupid the underclassman is." Tony Gordon, senior and safety, laughed as he grabbed the other boy in a headlock. "I hate to break it to you, fresh meat. But a more accurate name is the Tyler Lockwood school of 'banging 'em while waiting on Bonnie Bennet to give me the time of day'."

"Here we go." More then use to this type of ribbing from the guys, Tyler rolled his eyes. It was easier now, when his nights were spent exclusively with Bonnie, to be a better sport about it.

"Now the way I hear it," Mick Luckett wasn't on the football team, or any team for that matter. The guy smoked so much pot he'd probably hack up a lung if he ran so much as a yard. But he always seemed to be with the football team, nobody really knew why. "Bonnie's given Lockwood here more then the time of day, from what I understand she's given him the keys to the castle."

"Dude, I don't know what that means." Trey Horton's face was furrowed in confusion, which was usually the way he looked unless he was on the field. "Is he banging her?"

No one but Stefan seemed to notice the way Tyler's entire body tensed.

"He's living with her." Mick clarified. "He'd be a damn fool not to be."

"All the pining finally pay off, Lockwood." Tony laughed.

But Tyler wasn't laughing, wasn't so much as smiling. "It's not like that."

Mick rolled his eyes. "Come on, man. Everyone knows you've had a hard-on for Bonnie since she grew boobs. But you expect us to believe that you've managed to keep it in your pants now that you're living together. Bullshit."

"I buy it." Morris Collins, punter and resident flower child, began from the spot where he was laid out on the grass. "Remember in fifth grade, during career day, when Sheriff Forbes asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up. Lockwood answered that he wanted to be Bonnie's."

"Yeah," Tony agreed. "It's so sad how he's still holding out hope. But if he's living with her and _still _not getting any, it's never going to happen. You're in the friend zone, dude, have been for years; might as well have boobs for all it matters to her." He gave a smile that wasn't the least bit sympathetic. "And it's a good thing too. Can't have a pretty thing like Bonnie getting dirtied up by the likes of you."

"Come on guys." Matt stepped in because he knew it was only a matter of time before steam literally came out of Tyler's ears. "Lay off."

"What?" Morris appeared even less sympathetic then Tony. "We're doing him a favor. Bonnie is never going to happen for him, he needs to hear this, and it's our job as his friends to say it. Freshman year she dated that sophomore, remember. Sophomore year she dated that senior. A couple weeks ago she went out with a dude that isn't even in school anymore. Tyler's never been on her radar and he never will be. And none of you can say I'm wrong."

Before anyone could respond, the bell signaling the end of lunch sounded. Stefan waited until all the guys were a good distance away before approaching Tyler and Matt.

"They're just being dicks man." Matt was saying. "Don't even let it get to you."

"He's right." Stefan agreed. "Just forget about them"

But it was obvious their words were for naught, as Tyler's whole demeanor darkened. With an exasperated sigh, Matt's head dropped back to look heavenward. He'd seen Tyler like this, too many times before. This was one of his worse moods, his swing first and ask questions later moods. He just hoped everyone else recognized it enough to stay clear of him.


	8. Chapter 8

**I disclaim. I own nothing.**

**Chapter 8**

Bonnie, obviously, recognized that something was very wrong with Tyler. It's not like she wasn't use to his mood swings, the boy could be positively pre-menstrual when he wanted. But he was avoiding her, avoiding everyone, making it difficult for her to get to him and see what was wrong.

She hated to see him like this. Granted he looked _really_ good when he was pissed. It actually gave her a bit of a thrill when they argued; he'd pace the floor like some caged animal looking at her out of eyes gone tawny. To know what was inside him, the power he possessed, and to know he held that in check for _her._ Sometimes she wished he'd just grab her and kiss her. Take the choice from her, so that all she had to do was hold on and enjoy. Then as quickly as any argument between them would escalate, it would be over, and her senses would return.

But when he was like this, all angry and closed off, she hated it. Caused that horrible sinking feeling in her belly; a mixture of worry for him and fear that she wouldn't be able to reach him this time. She wondered if he knew that she was willing to do anything for his happiness. That he was one of three people she'd die for. And that she'd gladly take on whatever hurt him, because she couldn't stand to see his pain.

"Earth to Bonnie. Come in Bonnie."

The frown marring her brow slowly receded as Jeremy's smiling face came into focus in front of her. Well his chest came into focus, she kind of had to tilt her head back to see his face. "Hey, Jer. I thought you were one of those half-way home before the rest of us are even out of class types."

"Normally I am, but if a guy can't stop to say hi to a pretty girl, something's wrong with him."

Bonnie smiled, because he really was awfully cute. And she had missed this Jeremy; Elena's quietly charming little brother who was always around to make her and Caroline feel pretty. She found it hard to be around him when he was high, it was bad enough with Tyler, but with Jeremy it was just heartbreaking. But he seemed to be getting it together and she was grateful to what or whoever was responsible. "So, as soon as Mr. Social makes his way out of the school we're heading to the Grill. Wanna come?"

Jeremy thought about having to sit as the _seventh_ wheel in the group, on top of being Elena's kid brother. "Naw, I got some stuff I need to do. You going to Mick's party tomorrow?"

Bonnie shook her head. "I'm kind of over the woods right now."

"Me, too." And he was kind of over parties as well, those haven't gone right for him in a while. "Everyone else is probably going though, huh?"

"Yeah, well I know Ty and Caroline are. Matt will probably go if he doesn't have to work. Elena mentioned going." But she wasn't ready. Couldn't stand the thought of going back into those woods. At least not yet. "Hey, why don't you come hang out with me tomorrow? We can watch a few movies, I'll even cook."

"Okay." Jeremy smiled. "Yeah, that'll be cool." He glanced around the parking lot, most of the students practically peeling out. "Tyler sure is taking his sweet ass time coming out of there."

Bonnie frowned, because really Tyler was known to mosey his way out of school, but he'd never taken this long. Pulling her phone out of her purse she shot off a quick text asking where he was. "He's kind of in a mood."

"I saw him earlier," Jeremy rocked back on the balls of his feet. "That was kind of obvious. How do you deal with that?"

"Everyone has bad days." Bonnie made a restless movement with her shoulders. Normally she wouldn't have to wait long for a reply from a text she sent to Tyler, so it was never a good thing when she did. "You love someone, you get through it with them. We've all gone through our share together."

"I guess." But he wasn't convinced. Jeremy had only ever known two sides to Tyler Lockwood; the side that was full of himself to the point of obnoxiousness and the side that was full of piss and vinegar. Neither were pleasant. "So, you don't know what's going on with him?"

Bonnie shook her head as she continued to stare at her phone. He hadn't answered her, she honestly couldn't believe it. She could understand that he was upset, but to ignore her? That she just could not have. "No. But I'm going to find out."

***&***

"Little brother, I'm not interrupting your studies am I?"

Stefan rolled his eyes and already regretted answering his cell. "You care?"

"Not really."

Use to this kind of thing from his brother, Stefan leaned back against the bar. "So what do you want?"

"Just wanted to know how's things. How's Bonnie?"

As if on cue, Bonnie stepped into the Grill. Her eyes were a brilliant green as they scanned the restaurant, her shoulders slumping a bit when she didn't find who she was looking for. From the table she shared with Elena, Caroline waved her friend over. "Happier with you gone."

Damon laughed. "It's just the two of us, little brother, you don't have to pretend to be offended by my stellar plan."

"I'm not pretending." Stefan returned tightly.

"So are you trying to tell me the idea of having Elena forever, doesn't appeal to you? That having a best friend forever wouldn't make things easier for Elena. I bet you're watching them right now…I bet you can't help but fantasize about what those first few years are going to be like. What _they're_ going to be like, all new and wild and…_curious_."

Despite his best efforts, Stefan's gaze locked on the two girls. Bonnie had slid into the booth next to Elena. The young witch had her head resting on the other girl's shoulder, while Elena's fingers played soothingly in her hair.

"You're thinking about it right now aren't you?"

Because he was, because he could feel his fangs just itching to get out, his voice was rougher then he would have liked Damon to hear. "Bye, Damon." He tried to shut the phone off quickly, but he wasn't quick enough to miss his brother's amused laughter.

"What happened at lunch?"

Stefan had just barely reached the table, when Bonnie voiced the question. "What?"

"Tyler was fine before lunch, he was fine during the majority of lunch, then the bell rings, class starts and he's in this mood. What happened?"

"Oh," Stefan paused a moment, wanting to take the seat besides his girlfriend. But, Bonnie made no attempt to move and Elena didn't seem to want her to, so he slid in next to Caroline. "The guys were giving him a bit of a hard time. You should just let him cool off."

Bonnie looked honestly offended. "I'm not just going to let him cool off."

"She's not just going to let him go cool off." Elena cosigned, much to the amusement of her boyfriend.

"He's still such a little snot." Caroline added. "I mean he honestly can't stand it when you talk to another guy."

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "It's not even about that. I mean what guy could he possibly be jealous of?"

Caroline frowned. "Any guy you talk to that isn't him. He took one look at you and Jeremy and stormed off like an overgrown child. I figured you didn't see him, because you didn't run after him. They've been doing this forever." She explained to Stefan. "Tyler would get his little feelings hurt, he's so sensitive, and he'd stomp off. Bonnie-sometimes Matt too-would get all worked up and chase after him. It's like Pavlov's dog, but I honestly don't know which one is which."

Bonnie ran her fingers roughly through her hair. "I don't understand. Why would seeing me with Jeremy upset him like this?" Especially when he had no problem with Jeremy hanging out at the house. Sure the two of them would never be best buddies, but they were at least getting along. He knew just how much she hated being alone in the house, so it's not like he would begrudge her company when he was planning on going out. "This isn't like him."

Caroline and Elena gave her near identical looks of disbelief. "Are you serious?"

"This is exactly like him." Caroline continued. "The only difference is he hasn't punched someone in the face. Yet. The day is still young."

"Don't make jokes. I hate when he's like this. It kills me when he's like this."

Stefan, who'd thought it was better to just stay quiet, watched as Bonnie grew more and more agitated. He could feel the slight shift in atmosphere, the subtle increase in the room temperature, and knew the witch was only moments away from letting loose. This wasn't at all what he expected. He'd seen, just as the others had, the way the witch and the wolf were when together. But this was the first time he'd seen them apart. Thought that this may, in fact, be the last time he ever saw them apart. "Did you try calling him to you?"

Caroline, who was still trying to get a handle on this whole Bonnie being a witch thing, looked at her friend with a mixture of awe and confusion. "Can you do that? Just cast a spell and summon him?"

She could, but Bonnie knew that's not really what Stefan was saying. "It has to be his choice. Otherwise I wouldn't be able to stand it."

***&***

By eleven thirty Bonnie was reconsidering her decision not to bring Tyler to her. She was sure he wasn't hurt, she'd have known if he were. But she decided that if he'd gone back to his parents house or came home high she'd make him sorry. Because of him she missed _Community _and _Parks and Recs,_ and she swore if something happened between April and Andy…

It was his fault her DVR was all screwed up. Why anyone needed to record ESPN was just beyond her, but it was his thing and she wanted him to feel at home. And honestly, she preferred he record and watch whatever sports show later then she having to sit through it with him. But according to a text from Caroline, there was crying Dean on tonight's episode of _Supernatural_ which she missed. Because of Tyler, because she couldn't concentrate of anything buy her worry for hinm. Worry that was rapidly turning to anger. The only way this could possibly get worse for him is if she found out he was with some girl.

The minute she heard his car pull up outside, she was off the couch and at the door before he could even turn off the engine.

Tyler stopped midway up the walk, Bonnie had stepped out onto the porch arms crossed over her chest. And in that moment she looked so much like Grams, he nearly smiled. "I thought you'd be asleep by now."

"You weren't here."

The nightmares; she'd been having them pretty regularly since Grams died. It's the reason he started sleeping with her, otherwise he spent the night running in and out of her bedroom to make sure she was okay. "I'm tired, Bunny."

"And whose fault is that?"

She was spoiling for a fight, he'd have to be blind not to recognize that. The problem was, his heart was breaking because of her. He couldn't bare to fight with her now. So, he did the only thing that made sense. He turned around and headed back to his car.

"Ty!" She knew he wasn't going to stop, so she did what made the most sense…resort to witchcraft.

It was actually kind of cute to see him struggling with the car door, though she felt bad when his frustration led to him actually slamming his fist down on the roof of his precious Charger.

"This is really mature, Bonnie." His words were spoken with barely controlled anger, he hadn't even bothered to turn around to look at her.

"Says the guy that spent the afternoon pouting. What's going on with you?"

"Nothing. I'm tired. I just want to go home."

"That didn't work when we were five, it's not going to work now." She placed her hand on his shoulder, frowning at just how tense his body was. "Ty. Please." When he turned to look at her, his eyes were that tawny-gold she'd been fantasizing about only hours ago.

"Why don't you want me, Bonnie?" It broke something inside of him to ask. Thought he'd rather be run through with a dull spoon then to hear her response. It had been better hadn't it, infinitely better to delude himself into believing she could maybe one day love him, then to listen to her explain why she never would.

He'd been doing okay, been happy to have her friendship, her trust. Spent the rest of the school day trying to convince himself the guys didn't know what he had with Bonnie. That she didn't see him the way everyone else had. But he'd seen her with Jeremy Gilbert, overheard her making plans with him. And he couldn't stand it. Why Jeremy and not him? How could she think Gilbert could possible love her as much as he did? "Why? Why Jeremy and not me?"

He wouldn't have shocked her more if he'd ripped his car in two. "How.." How could he even for a moment think she didn't want him? That she preferred anyone over him?

"I know I'm a fuck up, I know that. I've made a lot of mistakes, what I did to Vicki was…but I'm getting better. I'm trying so hard to be better for you. I've stopped using and…and…" He made a restless movement with his hands as he paced away from her only to charge back and trap her between his body and the car. "I love you. I've loved you since I was five years old. Everybody kept telling me I wasn't good enough for you, that you'd never go for me. But I just thought…and Grams always said…."

"Grams?" Whatever emotions had been playing over her face at his outburst, was replaced with a smile at just that simple statement. He talked to her Grams about his feelings for her. Just as she had gone to Grams about her feelings for him.

"Yeah, she said I had to be patient. That I shouldn't let other people stop me from loving you. I knew she was just trying to make me feel better. But sometimes I thought," That she could love him, too. That he could be good enough for her. "I know it's crazy, because…because you're…" His hands were trembling when they came up to frame her face. "You're Bonnie. And I'm not good, I'll never be good enough. But I want to Bunny. It's selfish, because I know you deserve better but if you just give me a chance-"

Before he could continue on, Bonnie pressed her finger to his lips. "Ty…" Her heart was hammering in her chest. This was the moment she feared and longed for since she was twelve years old. But he was so close, baring his heart in a way she knew he'd never had for anyone before. And his eyes were still that incredible gold. She was still afraid, wanted to push him away, wanted to go back to this morning when they were only just friends.

If she did, if she told him this couldn't happen, he would try. He'd pretend this never happened. But the fact was, things were changed between them. The ground had shifted and they would never be able to go back. So there was no point denying herself this, denying herself something she'd wanted for so long.

She just had to be careful, with him with their relationship. Because she'd meant what she told Elena earlier; she couldn't risk Tyler. She couldn't bare to lose him.

"Tyler," She began softly. "There is nothing better then you." Raising up on her toes, she pressed her lips softly to his. "Nothing."

The kiss was tentative, hesitant. Like it would be between two old friends not quite sure of their actions, but unable to stop themselves. And for a moment, for Bonnie, it was enough. More then enough to feel his heart hammering in his chest, to take him in with each breath, and to hold his full bottom lip between both of hers.

_Mine,_ the thought flashed so suddenly, so violently, in her mind Bonnie found herself pulling back slightly. Maybe she always felt as if Tyler were hers to protect, to care for, but the possessive thrill that shot through her was new. But everything she was; her heart, her mind, even the blood flowing through her veins was chanting her ownership of the boy in front of her.

Bonnie knew she should have walked away, take a step back until she figured out the new feelings inside her. But even as the thought occurred to her, Tyler pressed his lips to hers again and none of it seemed important. Then his breath shuddered out as a slight tremor shook his frame. She heard his growl seconds before he deepened the kiss. And it was everything, everything she ever thought it would be and so much more.

Tyler had kissed plenty girls before, did so much more then kiss a few of them. He tried his share of drugs, knew a drunken night. If the best kisser among them, was the hottest sex he had on a night after sampling the best dope during a good buzz and he multiplied that feeling to the moon and back, it wouldn't come close to what it felt like to kiss Bonnie. She was unlike anything he'd ever experienced. The taste of her, the sweet honey taste, coursed through his system like a drug. Making him feel, all at once, as if he finally found peace but could take on the world if he saw fit.

Bonnie could feel the power coursing through her and she tried to contain it. Really she did. But it was _so_ much, to finally have what she waited so long for. To be able to let go of everything she told herself she was wrong for ever wanting. Tyler was kissing her. Tyler's hands were framing her face as if she were the most precious thing in the world. And it was everything. And she couldn't hold it in.

As sparks from the first busted street light rained down, Tyler only tightened his arms around her. Nothing mattered more then the girl in his arms. Nothing in the world could make him let her go.


	9. Chapter 9

**I disclaim. I own nothing.**

**Chapter 9**

Damon didn't bother calling his brother to let him know he was back. Figured the fog that proceeded him into town was as good as a_ I'm here_ text. He just wasn't in the mood for a round of question and non-answer. The fact was his excursion to Mexico was…not a bust. Not entirely, anyway. Katherine had been there, recently to boot. Apparently word had gotten back to her about his determination to open the tomb and _rescue_ her. He didn't know how, didn't bother to question it. Vampires, at one time, had been people. And people talked. Either way Katherine had heard of all he'd done to get to her. Just as he now knew her feelings on the matter. She thought it was…cute.

A hundred plus _fucking_ years spent wanting, loving, and waiting for her. He thought she'd be proud of him, even if she didn't want him. Thought that, despite the fact that she'd never loved him, she'd at least be impressed by what he'd done. All in the name of loving her. He thought he was being what she wanted, while she thought he was being adorable.

That had been worse. Because he knew what that really meant. It meant she was laughing at him. _Laughing_ at _him_, at his feelings for her. And it was worse, so much worse then if she simply hadn't loved him.

Made him realize what it was to hate, to really hate. He'd spent nearly two hundred years hunting and killing. Yet there wasn't a single victim he wanted to make suffer the way he was going to make her suffer. He left Mexico almost broken. Any other time he would have left a trail of bodies behind him. But what he felt couldn't be fixed by ripping the hearts out of naïve locals. Couldn't be fixed by drowning himself in a sea of liquor.

So he'd come back to Mystic Falls for the witch. His witch.

Came back for that dark, powerful feeling she stirred in him. He wanted to feel that way all the time. As a vampire it was very hard for him to get drunk, but when he was around Bonnie…Fuck if she wasn't the best high he'd ever known. Just thinking about sinking his teeth into that graceful neck of hers made him hard. Made him crave her blood like nothing he ever wanted before.

Truth be told he was growing impatient. He'd made a plan, because every nefarious scheme required a plan. Mapped a long, foul proof, plan to make Bonnie his. It was hard to reconcile himself not to simply grab her and turn her. In one of his more haphazard plans he considered snatching one of her little friends and using them to get Bonnie to promise herself to him forever. He'd finally settled on a wooing of sorts. Having her would be all the more sweeter if _she_ formed the bond between them.

But like with any junkie he needed his fix. So after nearly two weeks away, he roared back into town and headed straight to Bonnie. He did not pass Go, did not collect two hundred dollars.

Dawn was just peaking out over the horizon, but Damon wasn't concerned. He watched Bonnie enough to know that she was up before the alarm. The crow flew but it was the man who landed in the tree outside her window. He built the fog up higher, thicker so even if she were to look out, she'd see no more then a silhouette. But he could see her as clear as if the sun were shining bright. And was rewarded with the sight of his little witch in a ridiculous little shorts and sports bra set. Morning work out, may have very well been his favorite part of the day.

The music was on low; that and the rental car in the drive hipped him to the fact that her father was home. A rental car when he was suppose to be home. Not for the first time, Damon considered killing Sean Bennett. Really it would serve two purposes; punishing the man for not taking proper care of Bonnie and breaking another connection that she had to someone who wasn't him. But that was something to think about later. Now, he didn't want to think at all.

Something akin to an appreciative sigh escaped him as Bonnie raised her arms above her head before slowly bending forward. Damon had to admit, when the yoga craze first started, he was a huge skeptic. Was absolutely sure there was nothing soothing about stretching, but as he sat outside Bonnie's window watching her go through the different positions he couldn't deny that it was doing a damn good job of bringing him peace.

Their mornings together were fast becoming his favorite time of day. Pretty soon he'd be able to enjoy the view from her bed. And thinking of her inviting him, welcoming him, into her bed was what had him going through with his slow pursuit of her. The anticipation was what made things great. The anticipation was much more welcome then the desperate need he often felt in his gut when he thought of turning her.

Damon wasn't aware of just how long he sat in that tree watching her, but he knew he could have stayed for hours more. Especially when the dog wasn't there ruining everything. There was a peace about Bonnie now, a calmness that seemed to settle over her and reflect in the utter stillness of the early morning. As always the magnitude of her power astounded him, and to think she'd barely brushed the surface of all that she could do.

In a hundred and forty-five years he'd never heard of a witch being turned, it seemed right that the first of record should be Bonnie. She was going to be a magnificent vampire. Forever seventeen, forever beautiful. She'd be his queen.

***&***

It was nearly an hour later when the black Charger pulled up in front of Bonnie's house. As the crow now, Damon watched from the roof of the neighbor's house as Snoopy stepped out of the car. Bonnie, clearly having been watching for him, came out of the house wearing a smile Damon no longer thought her capable of.

"Hey," Tyler called when she stepped off the porch. "Have I told you how much I love the way you buy your jeans?"

Despite his immense dislike for the mutt fink, Damon couldn't help but to agree with that statement. For all intents and purposes, the little witch's jeans could have just as well been painted on. The collar of the sweatshirt she wore was cut so that it hung teasingly off one shoulder, revealing the strap of the white beater she wore under it. He wondered if she knew just how big of a tease she was. And how much of a turn on he found that.

"Maybe once or twice.."

For a moment they stood gazing at each other over the roof of the car. It was obvious things were different between them. Different in a way Damon did not like at all. Part of him wanted to rush off to the boarding house and demand his brother tell him just what the fuck happened while he was away. But he didn't dare move, didn't dare so much as blink, practically daring the boy to touch Bonnie. To give Damon one good reason to go down there and rip his throat out.

"How'd you sleep last night?" Tyler asked quietly.

"It could have been better. Two more days, though."

Tyler nodded, though not nearly as placated as she seemed to have wanted him to be. "Two days." He repeated as he glanced over her head to the house. "You know my place is-"

"School, Ty." She finished with a teasing grin before climbing into the car.

Tyler gave a frustrated sigh. "Right. School." With one last look towards the house he climbed into the driver's seat.

When the car turned out of his sight, the crow took to the sky. He could get to the school before them. There was something different about the way they were together now, something he didn't like at all. Fortunately, Damon had already planned to watch Bonnie, to follow her throughout the day. How else was she going to know he cared?

* * *

A week had passed since word of Tyler and Bonnie becoming Tyler _and _Bonnie got out. Nothing had ever seemed so strange yet so inevitable. They fit, as they had as children, without either of them bending to the other. Tyler, to anybody who wasn't Bonnie, was still a dick. And Bonnie was…well the same as she'd been recently. She smiled more. And she laughed, no one could really say when the last time it was they heard Bonnie laugh.

And they shouldn't have made sense; Tyler the spoiled asshat jock and Bonnie the sad-eyed cheerleader. But they worked. No one had ever seen Tyler Lockwood behave in such a way. But he was all over Bonnie. In the morning when they walked from his car to the school, he kept her tight to his side with the arm slung around her waist. In the hall between classes, he was always wrapped around her; his face buried in her neck.

There were more then a few who didn't give them long, figured there was no way Tyler would be able to keep it holstered for too long. Or at all. Many wagered he lacked the sense to reign in his inner slut when Bonnie was around and guessed he'd be hitting up some easy underclassman in a matter of days. And no one bothered to hold their tongue around Tyler, most were all too eager to let him know their low opinion of him.

Yet none of it bothered Tyler. How could it when everything he owned smelled of Bonnie.

"Hey," Tyler spoke softly as his fingers lightly grazed her cheek. "Bunny, wake up. We're at school."

Bonnie gave a soft moan and burrowed deeply into the passenger seat.

"Bunny," Fingers lightly cupping her chin, Tyler turned Bonnie's head towards him. His lips brushed hers gently; peppering her mouth with small kisses until she began to respond in kind. She gave a sleepy moan that pulled a hungry growl from him.

"Ty," The words had barely escaped her when he deepened the kiss. His teeth lightly scrapping her bottom lip, coaxing another moan from her. When he pulled back, his eyes were a shade lighter; that and the cocky smile on his lips enough to make her crazy. "Your eyes changed."

Immediately, Tyler tried to pull away. Worried that he'd frightened her or, worse, disgusted her. "Sorry. I didn't-"

"No," There was a smile on her lips when they brushed his. "I was just saying…When you're angry they're gold, like a wolf. Now they're, not gold at least not completely. Just…lighter. I like it."

He could tell. And it was all he could do not to curl into a ball and cry. "We should go." His voice was just as abrupt as his hasty exit from the car.

Confused and a little hurt by his reaction, Bonnie gathered her things and climbed out of the car as well. She'd just barely closed the door when her hand was taken in a firm grasp. "Hey," She sent a smile over her shoulder to Elena.

"I was wondering when you guys would break it up." Elena gave Bonnie's hand a tug, turning so her friend's arm draped over her shoulder. "Mind if I borrow her for a second, Tyler?"

"Long as you promise to bring her back." Tyler watched as Elena pulled Bonnie across the quad to where Caroline stood.

"You okay?" Stefan asked as he leaned against the trunk besides Tyler.

Tyler considered shaking the question off. But he remembered, though it was hard to forget, just what Stefan Salvatore was. If anyone could understand it should be him. "Being with her, in anyway, it's…sometimes it's hard to control myself. Maybe it would be different if I was just a regular guy, but I'm not. I'm a wolf," He spoke this part softly. "And I can smell…_everything..._like when she's...turned on. And she smells so good, it's all I can do not to just…" He looked to the vampire. "You understand what I'm trying to say."

"Yeah," Stefan nodded. Looking across the quad to where Elena stood-young, beautiful, his-he knew all about barely contained desires. Knew what it was to love, to want, someone to the brink of insanity and having to hold it in. Hold a part of yourself in check. Because denying yourself was a thousand times better then being denied the one you needed. "Yeah," He repeated. "I understand exactly what you're trying to say."

* * *

By ten Damon was so far beyond angry he didn't think there was a word for what he was feeling. Bonnie and the dog were…together. Full on hand holding, cuddling in the halls together. By loving that _dog_, allowing it to touch her, she was giving away what had belonged to him. More then anything he wanted to rip the mongrel's heart out, right there in the hall. Wanted to show Bonnie and everyone else just what happened to anyone who tried to take what by rights belonged to Damon Salvatore.

The fact that he was able to restrain was a surprise even to himself. But he realized that killing the dog really wouldn't accomplish much. Bonnie would still fancy herself in love with him, only it would be worse. Because with Fido dead the bond between them would never really be broken. And Damon was damned if a memory would mean more to her then he himself.

Showing that much restraint is how he found himself on the roof of the gym. From here he could see clear across campus into the library where Bonnie was even now sleeping soundly in teen wolf's arms.

"Hello, may I speak with Mr. Bennett please?" Damon congratulated himself on keeping the anger from his voice when he spoke into his cell.

"This is Sean Bennett."

"Mr. Bennett, this is Mr. Saltzman." There was silence on the other end of the line. "Alaric Saltzman." Still more silence. "I'm one of Bonnie's teachers."

"Oh, yes. Mr. Saltzman. Is she in some kind of trouble?"

Damon rolled his eyes and added another check in the column of reasons to kill Bonnie's father. The man had one child and couldn't even be bothered to keep up with what was happening in her life. "I wouldn't say trouble. But I am concerned." Very, very concerned, Damon thought as he watched Bonnie.

***&***

As usual, by lunch time, most of the students found their way out onto the quad. The earlier fog that blanketed the town had dissipated. Now the sun shone brightly and many were basking in the only upside to the start of another school week.

Elena and Stefan were sitting at one of the outer picnic tables, observing without having to be a part of the throng of excited student bodies. Elena sat with her body turned into her boyfriend, her forearm resting on his shoulder so her fingers could play in his hair. At the moment she didn't know what she enjoyed more; the serious lines of his profile or the subtle hints of red in his hair.

"Have we been ditched?" Stefan asked as his eyes scanned the quad.

"Worse, we've become the old settled couple." The shocked look Elena was going for failed when she laughed at the one Stefan made as well.

"Well," Stefan glanced slightly over his shoulder. "If you're feeling neglected…"

Even the implication, delivered in his low ridiculously sexy voice, was enough to make her heart race. "Not neglected, but if you're offering…" There was a smile curling her lips when they brushed his. She never quite understood how his lips could be so warm when the rest of him was cool. Not that she was complaining, she liked the contrast, liked the way it felt when he absorbed her body heat.

"Not so old and settled, huh?" Stefan murmured softly against her lips.

Elena shook her head, but before she could speak the alarm on her phone sounded. "Oh, I have to call Bonnie. She's in the library sleeping with Tyler," It didn't even take his confused look for her to realize how that just sounded. "Literally sleep. They ditched third period; she wanted me to call to make sure they didn't sleep through lunch and end up missing another class."

"What's going on?"

"With her dad back in town, Tyler's not been staying there. She doesn't sleep well without him. Nightmares," She explained as she pulled out her cell and hit the one key to speed dial Bonnie. "She's been having them since Grams died." She held up a finger when the phone began to ring. "Anyone ever tell you how sexy you sound when you wake up?" She asked teasingly into the cell, laughing at Bonnie's sleepy reply. "Alright, we'll be here." When she looked over at her boyfriend, he was giving her a look she didn't quite understand. "What?"

"Nothing. It's just…Somehow I keep forgetting how close you two are." He'd tried, really he did, to forget his brother's words. Forget any suggestion of Elena and her best friend together in anyway that wasn't…entirely friendly. But they were always touching each other, smiling at each other, or saying something that got his mind going again. "Makes me wonder how you guys will handle separation."

Elena frowned. "Why would we ever be separated?"

The fact that she was honestly perplexed brought a smile to his lips. "I guess you wouldn't be. So you never really said how you feel about them together."

"Honestly." Elena tried to shift through her feelings to give him a somewhat comprehensible answer. "Maybe part of me is a little worried, I mean it was hard enough sharing Bonnie with Tyler when they were just friends. I can only imagine what it's going to be like now. But more, I want for Bonnie what she wants for herself. And Tyler," She made a movement that was almost like a full body shrug. "He's what she wants. It's easier to accept when I know how much he loves her, how much he has always loved her."

Stefan nodded, realizing that she couldn't shake the fear that Tyler would become more important to her friend then she was. So she wasn't quite ready to accept the relationship. But he knew, that because she loved Bonnie she'd eventually get there. "Caroline doesn't seem too thrilled. At least with the Tyler part, it's almost like she'd prefer Bonnie be with anyone else."

"That's because Caroline and Tyler have never gotten along. Like ever." She rested her head on his shoulder, wondering why she didn't follow Bonnie's lead and take a quick nap with her boyfriend. "God, Tyler as a child…he really was horrible. If he was talking to Bonnie, no one else were to even come near her. He'd like flip out. I remember this one time, we were about eight or nine, he locked himself and Bonnie in his bedroom closet. They actually had to take the door off the hinges because he refused to come out. He came up with some excuse about a guy with a…"

Even as she trailed off, Elena's entire body stiffened. Causing Stefan to draw back, concern written all over his face. "What? What's wrong?"

"It's just…It never occurred to me, Tyler was always dragging Bonnie off somewhere. But, when they came out of the closet, Tyler insisted that a man tried to take Bonnie. A man with a monster's face."

Realization struck and Stefan didn't question it. Just ran his hands over his face. Of course his brother would have considered taking the witch as a child and raising her to be loyal to him. What better way to get her to open the tomb for him? "Damon."

"Good you guys are already talking about him." Bonnie slid onto the bench opposite Stefan and Elena.

"Where's Tyler?"

"About to bogard his way to the front of the lunch line." Bonnie realized that she should not be so nonchalant about the douche aspects of Tyler's personality, but it was who he was. And really that was the one part of him she rarely saw, especially when they were alone together. "I have a question for you."

Stefan didn't know why he felt the need to shift under the witch's direct stare. "Okay."

"Can vampires affect the weather?" Noticing his frown, Bonnie continued to explain. "Someone was outside my window this morning, whenever I tried to get a really good look the fog got thicker. I thought it was Damon. Sadly I'd prefer it to be Damon, I really don't want to deal with something else out to kill me."

"Yeah that can be a real inconvenience." Stefan nodded. "Better the killer you know."

Elena looked between her boyfriend and best friend, the slight smirks on both their faces. She didn't know how they could even joke about something like that. "That's not funny."

The smirk on Stefan's face was wiped away immediately. "Sorry. To answer your question, yes, Damon can manipulate fog. Yes, he was more then likely the one outside your window."

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "What does he want with me, now?"

Somehow, Stefan was able to keep his face passive. He wasn't going to give his brother the satisfaction of sending Elena and Bonnie into a blind panic by relaying Damon's latest scheme to them. If he could help it the two would never learn of it. "I'll talk to him."

"Thank-you." Bonnie gave a grateful smile. "I realize empty threats don't really work with Damon, so I want to avoid any other confrontations. Because the next time I threaten to set him on fire, I'm going to have to follow through."

Stefan nodded soberly, although there was an amused light in his eyes. "How else do you expect him to learn?"

Elena shook her head when Bonnie laughed. "Of all the things I expected the two of you to share, a dark sense of humor was not one of them."

***&***

"Hey, Lockwood."

Tyler was standing next to the passenger door of his car, Bonnie wrapped in his arms, and sleeping lightly on her feet. So, he didn't bother to respond to Mick who was calling him across the parking lot. It shouldn't have surprised anyone though, in the last few days it became obvious that when Tyler was with Bonnie nothing else existed. There was no one he didn't ignore when she was around.

"Bunny, ready to go." He gave her a little squeeze to wake her up.

Bonnie mumbled something unintelligible into his chest, but otherwise remained asleep.

"Hey," Elena, who's SUV was parked besides Tyler's Charger, stepped behind him. Stefan was on the other side, leaning against the hood. "Is she seriously asleep?"

"Believe it or not."

"Want me to grab the door?"

_I like to move it move it. I like to move it move it._

Bonnie's head popped up off of Tyler's chest as the song rung through the air. There was a moments confusion before she realized that it was her cell. Because it was her father- and she had previous experience with him hanging up, turning off his cell, and boarding a plane-she quickly dug the phone out of her purse. "Hello?"

"Another few minutes and he'd have been on his way to Tokyo." Elena mumbled earning a censoring look from her best friend.

"Wait," Fully awake now, Bonnie pushed out of Tyler's arms and began to pace. "What? What? Who…but Daddy…I just want to explain…" Her movement came to a halt in front of Tyler, a thousand apologies in her eyes. "Yes, sir. Okay." She held the phone out to her boyfriend. "My father would like to speak to you."

For a moment Tyler could only stare at the phone like it would actually come alive and attack him. The words formed on his lips, a question as to why her father would want to talk to him, but she answered before he could utter a sound.

"He knows." Bonnie knew she didn't have to explain any further. She was glad to see Tyler square his shoulders as he took the phone from her hand. She knew he didn't think much of her father, but he did have a healthy fear of the man. Sean Bennett was a very large, intimidating, man. She didn't know too many people who stood their ground with him.

"Hello, Mr. Bennett."

Elena waited until Tyler wandered away. "What's going on?"

"My dad found out that Tyler's been living with me since he's been gone."

"How?"

Bonnie couldn't take her eyes off of Tyler's back. She wished she could hear, wished Tyler would turn around so she could at least get a feel as to what he was feeling. "He said Alaric called the house and told him."

Frowning, Elena turned to her friend. "Why would he do that? And how does he even know?"

Bonnie shook her head, but didn't answer.

Stefan scanned the area, catching sight of his brother several yards away in the shadow of the school building. A self-satisfied smirk on his lips.

_You told on them to her dad_, Stefan sent to his brother silently, though he was grateful Damon had not done something more drastic.

_I just want him out of her bed for now_, Damon sent back, _The rest will come later._


	10. Chapter 10

**I disclaim. I own nothing.**

**AN: I don't know when Bonnie's birthday is, so I made one up. If it has been mentioned and I just missed it please let me know and I can make appropriate changes. Thanks.**

**Chapter 10**

"Wait," Elena lowered herself into a chair at the _Grill_. "So, your dad is totally okay with Tyler living with you."

Bonnie nodded, it wasn't something she could really reconcile herself to, wasn't particularly sure how she was suppose to feel. On one hand, she'd have Tyler back and would be able to sleep through the night. On the other, her father could care less about her shacking up with her boyfriend. "He said that he was glad someone was with me. And with this London trip coming up and not knowing just how long he'll be gone for, he can sleep better knowing that I won't be alone."

Elena recognized the sadness in Bonnie's eyes, knew that despite the air of indifference she was going for she was hurting. But they'd been friends long enough for Elena to know that Sean Bennett was off limits. His absence may hurt Bonnie, but it was a hurt she didn't talk about. And if anyone pushed, they'd succeed only in pushing her away. "Are the nightmares getting any better?"

Bonnie smiled. "I can't believe _that_ is a safer subject then my dad." It's not like she didn't know how she got when anyone questioned her father's parenting skills. She did. It was just...he was still her dad. He loved her, Bonnie knew he did. He wasn't a good dad, he had tried; when she was little he really did try his best. But parenthood just wasn't for him, it was hard for her to fault him for that. "No, they're not getting any better. I think the one today was the worse."

"You had one today? I thought you didn't have them when Tyler was with you."

"I said they're not so bad when Tyler's with me; not that I didn't have them." Bonnie paused, trying to tell the story without having to relive it. "The nightmares are about Tyler; he's usually hurt. When I wake up and he's there, it's not so bad because I can see that he's okay."

Elena reached out to take Bonnie's hand in hers. She could see just how badly this was messing her friend up. "What was different about the one today?"

"I…I was the one that was hurting him." Bonnie's tear filled eyes locked onto her best friends, as if asking Elena for help. "I was killing him, Elena."

"What…Do…" The thoughts were racing so quickly through Elena's mind she couldn't straighten them out enough to speak. The past few months taught her that anything was possible. She understood that Bonnie had a gift, that she could see things before they happened. But what she _knew_, was that Bonnie could never hurt anyone. She just wasn't capable of it. "Are you sure you're not interpreting the dream wrong?"

"Tyler and I are out in the woods and I smother him."

"Okay, maybe it comes from the fact that things with Tyler are new and you're afraid-"

"Elena." Bonnie interrupted with a sad smile. "Come on."

"Well it makes more sense then what you're saying." Elena tightened her grip on Bonnie's hand. "You wouldn't hurt anyone, especially not Tyler. That's as likely as…you hurting me. So no, I don't believe it."

"You can't just deny something until it's the truth."

"Watch me."

Bonnie smiled, how could she not when faced with her best friends sheer determination. "Thanks, Elena."

"No big deal, it's my job." Elena smiled now as well. "You know I think I can get use to being the Ard to your Eph instead of the other way around."

"You're an awesome Ard."

"You know," Damon slid a chair over until he was pressed against Bonnie's side. "I'd give Stefan's right arm to hear the two of you recite that little poem to each other."

"And I'd give his left for someone to drive a stake through your heart." The words were out of her mouth so fast Bonnie had no hope of even stopping them.

"Can we stop giving away my boyfriend's arms please." Elena glanced over her shoulder to the door. Stefan and Tyler were outside; they'd been held up by Mick. She knew if they came in and saw Damon, Tyler was going to go off. "Damon, I really think you should go."

"Good thing I don't care what you think." Damon tossed back while he kept his eyes trained on Bonnie's profile. Because he knew it would annoy her, he rested his arm around the back of her chair. "I'm here to apologize to my little witch. I've been neglecting you."

"Yet I haven't missed you at all." Bonnie just barely resisted the urge to scratch his eyes out. She could feel the confidence pouring off of him. Not that he shouldn't be confident, even though she hated him Bonnie could admit he was beautiful. Thought his was the face Milton imagined when he wrote of Lucifer and his rebellion against God. It really was a shame he was such a son of bitch. "Why don't you go away again, Damon? I'll try to get it right this time."

He reached up to brush the hair off her cheek, but his hand was slapped away for his efforts. "Actually I think I may stay awhile. Really have missed that morning yoga."

At this Bonnie whirled around so quickly, her hair slapped Damon in the face. The satisfaction was there, but she was far too pissed off to care anymore. "Should have guessed that on top of being a bastard you were a pervert too."

"Bonnie," He gave her chin a playful flick with his finger. "Don't you know when you're being wooed?"

"I know when I'm being stalked."

Narrowing his eyes, he gave a disappointed shake of his head. "Stalk is such an ugly word. Think of it as me keeping an eye on you."

"I'd prefer not to think of you at all. So," She made a shooing motion with her hand. "Go away."

"Do you really think I'm going to do that."

"What do you want?" Bonnie's voice was full of the exasperation she felt.

Because she opened herself up to it, Damon allowed his eyes to travel slowly over her form. Moving quickly, he gave her sweatshirt a tug so that it hung off the shoulder closest to him. "What are you willing to give?" Off her bored look he smiled. He should have known she wouldn't rise to that bait. "Just want to take care of you, Bonnie."

Both Bonnie and Elena frowned, because really this was the last thing they expected from this particular vampire. For an instant, the witch saw something-the truth maybe-in his eyes. Then, as was normally the case with Damon, he went and ruined it.

"When left to your own devices you invite fleabags into your bed." For a time he considered not telling her what he'd done. But Bonnie was just too irresistible when she was angry that he couldn't help himself. "But don't worry, I took care of that."

Her brow creased in a frown, before realization dawned. "You called my father. Bitch move, Damon."

Elena, who'd watched the whole exchange, began to get a sinking feeling in her stomach. The way Damon was looking at Bonnie, she remembered the offhand comments he made the last few times she saw him; she didn't think she liked where this was heading. "Why would you call her father?"

The smirk that was playing at the corners of his lips, formed completely. And he somehow managed to direct it at both girls. "Didn't think I was just going to stand by and let someone else share a bed with my witch did you?"

The smile curled her lips first, then a slight giggle escaped, and before long Bonnie was full on laughing. "Your witch? In what circle of hell would you think that was true?"

Any other time, Damon would have been pissed that she'd have the audacity to laugh. But he realized he'd never seen Bonnie laugh, at least not like this. And he liked it, liked the way her entire face lit up. Liked the way it made him want to smile in return. "You don't believe me?"

"How could you tell?"

"I got a story. When I went to your lying great whatever number grandmother to free the lying whore Katherine, the crystal wasn't the only thing she gave me. See, Emily dreamed about you." The way he said made it obvious Emily wasn't the only one who dreamed of her. "Told me that if I protected her line, it'd be worth my wile. As I'd get a witch more powerful then she could ever hope to be. I'd get you."

"Okay first, that's just ridiculous." Bonnie tossed back though for the life of her she didn't know why she was even humoring him. "She probably told you that because she knew it would have to be a witch of her line to open that tomb. I was just the ancestor unlucky enough to be alive when that stupid comet powered that crystal. That's what Emily meant. Not 'one day a witch will be born have at her'. This is pathetic even for you."

"You know why you're so pissed off right now, little witch. Because you know what I'm saying is true. You belong to me, Bonnie. You were mine long before you were even born." His fingers toyed with the ends of her hair. She was so busy being pissed at him in general she didn't even realize what he was doing. If he were honest, Damon wasn't even fully aware of his actions. He was too busy basking in what anger did to Bonnie's eyes. "So instead of ripping that mongrels' arms off, I called your father. Couldn't have someone else in your bed."

"Hate to break it to you, but your plan backfired. My father is actually thrilled that Tyler's staying with me. He all but gave us permission to-"

Damon's hand came up quickly, Bonnie barely batted an eyelash. It took a lot of restraint, but his fist curled into a tight fist. "Careful, Bonnie."

There was a moment, where she could have just let this go. Chalked everything up to a case of the crazy Mondays. But she couldn't, just could not let him get one over on her. "Maybe permission is the wrong word. Consent, is better I think. His consent to fuck."

The hand Damon balled into a fist came down hard on the table, drawing the attention of most everyone around them. But just as quickly, the smirk was back in place. "I said careful. He's not like you and I. Fido out there is fragile, all sorts of bad things can happen to him."

Elena's eyes widened, as far as she was concerned this conversation had gone on for way too long. This was what had clicked that night on Bonnie's porch. The way Damon was so sure that he could get Bonnie to do what he wanted by threatening the people close to her. Some part of her had known then that this was where he was going. Damon had spent a hundred and forty-five years loving the same woman. Obsessive didn't even begin to describe his personality. The fact that he was now focusing that attention on her best friend…

"Unlike you, Damon, I have a full understanding of my belongings." Bonne leaned in close, fire burning in her eyes as her lips practically touched his. "Tyler…Tyler is _mine_. And I know you want us all to believe you're over Katherine and you could care less about what happens to her, but that's not entirely the truth. You still love her, still want her. So I'll say this only once, you touch one hair on Tyler's head and I will hunt down that vamp bitch, drag her back here, and end her while you watch."

Damon inhaled deeply, because he'd never known anything to smell as sweet as Bonnie did in this moment. And fuck if seeing the way she meant every word she just said wasn't the sexiest thing he'd ever witnessed. Part of him wanted to go out and knock Tyler around just to see her do it. "Promise."

Bonnie didn't have to turn around to know that Stefan and Tyler had just walked in. "You need to leave now, Damon."

The vampire's eyes flicked towards the door, his smirk positively evil when he saw the dog practically trembling with anger. To both please himself and fuck with teen wolf, he leaned in until his lips were practically brushing her neck. "Why's that?"

"Because your car is on fire."

***&***

There was barely even a breeze in the air by nightfall. The lateness of the hour in addition to it being a weeknight accounted for the utter silence. And sitting on the fronts steps of her home, with her back pressed to her boyfriends still chest was the best way Elena could think to end a day. His arms were around her, fingers laced with hers, so that it seemed as if he were surrounding her completely. Laying her head back on his shoulder, Elena thought she could end every night, for the rest of her life, just this way.

Minus all the excitement that proceeded the sunset.

"You're worried about her." Stefan spoke softly against Elena's ear.

"She set Damon's car on fire." She felt more then heard his chuckle and would have rammed him in the stomach with her elbow if she wasn't afraid it would do her more damage then him. "Okay he was being a jerk, he was being Damon. But…Bonnie, you didn't see her. She was fine before. But then Damon shows up and she was different…she referred to Tyler as one her belongings."

Stefan nodded in understanding. He'd seen Bonnie with Damon. After losing her Grams, Bonnie had become a bit more caustic, a little short on patience. But with Damon she was antagonistic. Admittedly, Damon had a tendency to bring that out in people. "I think Bonnie is still a bit raw and because of how close to the surface her emotions are now, her feelings are intensified."

Elena pulled away slowly so she could see his face. With Stefan it was never really what he said, but more how he said it. "You say that like she's a time bomb just waiting for a place to go off."

"No," Shaking his head, Stefan took her hands to calm the fear that lit in her eyes. "That's not what I'm saying." Though it had been a fear of his after Sheila died, when he looked at Bonnie and it seemed like she was just barely hanging on. "Bonnie doesn't feel things like anyone else. Take her relationship with you." He wanted to explain this to her, so she'd understand. Thought Elena would better be able to help her friend if she had a better understanding of what she was going through. "Bonnie loves you. You're Ard and Eph, right. You're happy if the other is happy, sad when the other is sad. Well, for Bonnie it's more. When you hurt, she bleeds."

Elena paled, because she knew what it was to suffer through with Bonnie. To hurt because her friend was hurting. But this…she couldn't imagine what this was like. "I don't want that for her."

Stefan smiled sadly at her, framing the face he loved so much gently in his hands. His brother may have had a lot wrong, may have had the worse view of the world then anyone he's known. But Damon was right about this; the friendship between Elena and Bonnie really was something special. "I know you don't. But you can't take it from her, either. A witches power and her emotions are connected. This is her legacy. Don't worry, she was born for this." Leaning in he kissed her softly on the lips before pulling her back into his arms.

"But what about Damon, he thinks Bonnie belongs to him. That Emily _gave_ Bonnie to him." Elena waited for him to contradict her. To make this better as he had moments before. And she waited. And waited. "Stefan!"

"Technically," Stefan began reluctantly. "When Emily put her family under Damon's protection she was, in a way, giving them to him. Her children, their children, and right down the line to Bonnie."

"Oh my God," This was just getting worse. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I wish Katherine had been in that tomb. I hope he finds her now, I hope he finds her and just stays away."

Stefan's arms went around her again, he nodded but said nothing. He didn't want to tell her he thought Damon was done looking for Katherine. At least for now. Because the only thing Bonnie accomplished by setting Damon's car on fire was strengthen his interest in her. She presented herself as a challenge, all but making herself irresistible to Damon.

"I have another question." Elena began softly.

"Shoot."

"Is Tyler a werewolf?"

***&***

"What did Damon Salvatore want with you?"

Bonnie stood on the opposite side of the bed from Tyler. The window was open at his back and she was momentarily distracted by the crow that landed in the tree. A chill ran down her spine, that she promptly ignored. She shouldn't have, knew Grams would tell her to always listen to her instincts, but Tyler's fear was palpable. And she couldn't ignore that. "Nothing."

"Nothing? I saw you. He was all over you, he was touching you." More roughly then he intended, Tyler pulled the covers on the bed back. This would be the first night they shared a bed since they became a couple.

Both had put off coming upstairs. As usual Bonnie had showered first but instead of getting in the bed she'd gone back down to watch T.V. After his shower, Tyler suggested they work on spells in the backyard. It made more sense as the cooler air kept them from overheating. But there was something decidedly more intimate about sitting close together, whispering in the dark that by the time they came back inside any awkwardness was gone.

"Bunny, you set his car on _fire_. Something he said upset you."

"Damon upsets me." She shrugged her shoulders indifferently. "Don't worry about it."

Tyler wondered how someone who looked like Bonnie could be completely unaware of her appeal. Her beauty, her power, her selflessness; for someone like him, who'd been made to feel less by his own father, she was everything he could ever want. He'd be crazy to think no one else saw it. Crazy to think that as a witch she didn't appeal to the demon in Damon the way she appealed to the wolf in him. What's more, this was the second time he'd come across the vampire at her neck that way. He didn't like it. Not at all. "I don't want you around him anymore."

More perplexed then upset at his demand, Bonnie frowned up at him. "What?"

"He wants you, he looks at you like you're already his. I don't want him anywhere near you again." Recalling the smirk Damon had given him, Tyler felt his anger spike. "I see him touching you again, I swear I'll kill him, Bunny."

"Ty," Bonnie quickly climbed across the bed until she was kneeling in front of him. "Hey, Ty, look at me." His eyes had gone that tawny color she found ridiculously attractive. In an attempt to soothe him, she ran her hands over his arms and chest before framing his face in her hands. "Hey," Her lips curved slowly, a relieved sigh escaping her when he smiled in returned. "Forget about Damon Salvatore. Isn't that what you told me? That killing him wasn't going to solve anything."

"It's not-"

"No," Bonnie interrupted with a shake of her head. "I don't want _you_ anywhere near Damon." Whatever Damon was after, she wasn't convinced there wasn't some ulterior motive behind this sudden interest he had in her. He wanted something, he always wanted something. She wouldn't allow him to use Tyler to get it. "Just forget about him."

His arms went around her then, holding her in a grip that surprised even himself. "I waited my whole life for this, Bunny."

Bonnie pressed her lips softly against his ear. "Shh," The crow was still perched on the tree outside her window and she could have sworn she saw something like contempt in it's eyes. "I won't let anything come between us." She placed a kiss over the tightly corded muscles in his neck, smiled at the way he shuddered at just this gentle contact. Her eyes went back to the crow as she promised. "Especially not Damon Salvatore."

* * *

Sean Bennett was a man of habit. Raised by a woman who professed to be a witch instilled him with certain…beliefs. It's not that he believed his mother was a witch, but he believed in the power of certain things. He was very much a man of order. If things were to be done properly, they had to be done in the correct order. One misstep, as his mother would say, and the pot just boiled over.

The number twelve was very important. Flight numbers, hotels rooms, license plates and the like all had to contain the number twelve. At midnight on the twelfth day of the twelfth month his daughter was born. His only child. His Bonnie.

No one had to tell him that he was a poor father. His mother used every available opportunity to tell him that. It's not that he didn't love his daughter, he did. God knows he did. He just didn't know how to be a father. He was sorry for it. But there was nothing he could do to change it.

So he tried not to dwell on it too much. Which is why he focused so intently on his routine. Some would say he was obsessive, Sean liked to say organized. It allowed him to prepare for the end of one day while looking ahead to the next. His wife use to poke fun at him, she use to call out the items as he stripped them off. As they always came off in the same order.

His jacket came off first, placed on a hanger and hung back up in the closet. While he stood there, his shoes would come off, then his tie. Over to the bureau where he took off the watch his mother gave him as a graduation present, the cuff links that belonged to his father and grandfather, then his wallet. And then finally the broken pocket watch, another gift from his mother.

This was the one wistful moment he allowed himself a day. On the left side, as always, was Bonnie's baby picture. It was the same picture that had been inside nearly ten years ago when his mother had given it to him. It was the picture on the right that always changed. A sort of punishment he inflicted on himself, marking time by the changes that occurred in his daughter while he was away. Every night he'd stare at the two pictures and hear his mother's warning: _Mark my words boy, one of these days you're going to come back and you're not going to recognize that child. For your sake I hope it's a long way off._

This was the first night the full impact of those words hit him. Because the last time he saw her, two days before waiting for Tyler Lockwood to pick her up for school, he looked at her and saw the young woman his child had become. A young woman he didn't know. Could't even pinpoint when it was he lost her.

As the hurt sank like lead in his gut, he gave a relieved sigh at the knock on the door. Any interruption would be welcome at this point.

Despite the years of traveling under his belt, Sean was still a small town boy at heart. And as he often did, especially on the rare occasion when he was distracted, fell back into the poor habit of opening the door without checking to see who it was first. "Yes?"

"Mr. Bennett." Damon didn't bother to smile. Didn't have the patience to play nice. So, when the man opened the door a crack, he placed his hand on the wood to keep it open. "We need to talk." He said in an easier tone then he felt as he held the other man's gaze. "So, you're going to invite me in. Now."


	11. Chapter 11

**I disclaim. I own nothing.**

**AN: Near the end of the chapter, when Bonnie and Tyler start dancing they song I played while writing that part was OMG by Usher, it really does fit that moment.**

**Chapter 11**

Loud was not an effective enough term to describe the volume level pouring out of the house. Every door and window in the place was thrown wide open, a steady stream of bodies moving through each. It was Saturday night and it seemed as if the entire school was packed into one place.

"You know what pisses me off about this." Caroline was seated in a plush rocker beside the fire pit, Elena and Bonnie shared a wicker glider next to her. "We've been schlepping our simple asses out to the woods all these years when Danny Wayne's had this house and no one thought to take advantage of it."

The house was actually a six and a half acre farm located a few miles out of Mystic Falls. And despite being the best thing to ever happen to T'wolves basketball Danny Wayne had never been anyone's favorite person. Besides parties out in the woods was a tradition that predated most of them and no one found it necessary to question it; didn't hurt that no one even knew about the large farmhouse miles out of town with a pool, Jacuzzi, multiple fire pits, and sound system wired around the property. But then word had spread during lunch on Friday that Danny was throwing a party at his place and with Mystic Falls being a place where not much happened in the way of entertainment, no one saw a reason not to go.

Caroline, Elena, Bonnie and the rest of the cheerleaders along with the football and basketball team had made their places toward the back of the property. The deck there set up to look over the large man made pond and many seemed to be enjoying the way the quarter moon reflected off the water. At least the cheerleaders were, the football team seemed content to stand around the keg all night.

"I mean people were dying; set on fire and attacked by animals in the very woods where we threw party after party. We could have been coming here all this time."

"No we couldn't." Elena was pleasantly buzzed, a state that reflected in the easy smile she sent Caroline. "No one's been able to stand Danny since sophomore year. You especially."

Caroline, who everyone agreed was not a pleasant drunk, was still nursing her second beer knowing she would not be allowed another. But it didn't stop her, as little could, from having a good time. "Oh yeah. So, why are we all here if no one likes him?"

"Why not." Bonnie answered simply, though she knew differently. This party was Tyler's doing. He hadn't said anything, but he didn't have to. His triumphant smile after lunch on Friday was enough for her to know.

At the time she'd merely rolled her eyes at him, but it had been kind of sweet. Very Tyler. He liked parties, liked going out and having a good time; and preferred to do it with her. Knowing she wasn't comfortable going into the woods just yet, he simply changed the venue. And she knew it was more then his desire to get drunk, he wanted her to get out and have a good time as well.

Now he stood over with the rest of the guys with a big goofy grin on his face, looking ten kinds of adorable. This would be his last good week, as the full moon cycle was only days away and getting him to smile would be near impossible. So she didn't mind being the designated driver tonight, had no problem with him cutting loose as she'd be keeping him home with her for the next week.

"So, you haven't told me how married life is going."

Bonnie recognized Caroline's sarcasm for what it was. "Great. He puts the seat down and everything."

"Cute. And laugh all you want, Elena, I know you feel the same way I do."

"What way is that?"

"Confused." Caroline argued. As she'd been sitting on this for some time now, she could hardly contain herself. "I don't get it, I don't get you and him, or you being into him. Granted he's cute."

"Gorgeous." Bonnie corrected.

Caroline rolled her eyes. "Whatever. I'm just saying make me understand it. You could have any guy you wanted. Yet the first guy you decide to grant boyfriend status to is Tyler Lockwood. Why?"

"I don't have to justify my relationship to you."

"That's right." Elena toasted her friend, earning a glare from Caroline.

"No, you don't have to. But I'd really like if you did."

The truth was, Bonnie wasn't really sure what Caroline was looking for. She could tell them how Tyler always knew when something was bothering her and he knew when to push or when to let her work things out on her own. She could tell them how he badgered his mother for information on Bonnie's so that she could have something more of a woman she couldn't remember. And that he not only remembered her birthday, but her Grams' and mother's as well. But it was more then that.

There were those little things, the things that no one would understand if she told them. Like how cute he looked in the Homer Simpson pajama pants he loved. Or that he laughed out loud while watching Spongebob. That even though he loved her, he refused to allow her to play Lady GaGa in his car. That sleepy pout he wore when ever he woke up. How he knew all the words to all the song in _The Nightmare Before Christmas._ That he could always find her. And how he not only took care of her, but that he let go enough to allow her to take care of him as well.

"I can't…it's him, Caroline. It's Tyler. I don't know how else to explain it."

"I'm disappointed in you Bonnie." Caroline shook he head sadly. "Letting some guy wrap you up that way."

"You might not want to go throwing _that_ stone around." Bonnie responded easily as she kicked off her shoes and rested her feet in Elena's lap.

"What's that suppose to mean?"

"Elena, when's the last time you had lunch with our friend Caroline?"

"Caroline?" Elena's face scrunched up in a confused frown. "Blonde, about yeah tall," She barely raised her arm off the couch. "Gorgeous. The one who blew us off…twice?"

Bonnie nodded. "Twice sounds about right."

"Twice." Elena felt necessary to repeat. "I can barely recall her face." She leaned conspiratorially towards Bonnie. "What ever happened to her?"

"Well, she got herself all wrapped around her boyfriend's little finger and barely has time for us anymore."

"Shame." Elena shook her head sadly. "It's always the good ones."

"Okay, you know what." The stern tone Caroline was going for was lost amongst her giggles. "I refused to be called whipped by the likes of you two." More giggles erupted as Bonnie and Elena adopted identical shocked faces. "Bonnie, I've seen you and Tyler together, you can barely go two minutes without touching him. And Elena, I'm surprised you haven't found some way to move into Stefan's pocket. Matt doesn't have me. _I've_ got _him_ right were I want him."

"Oh please, you couldn't get him over here if he didn't want to come." Elena teased good naturedly. "But I bet if he crooked his little finger…"

"I can get him over here." Caroline immediately abandoned her relaxed position to sit up straight in her chair. She realized that they were only teasing each other, but as usual when Elena was involved, Caroline just could not resist throwing out a challenge. "I can get him over here faster than you can."

"Stefan," Elena, moving steadily passed buzzed and into full on drunk, missed the dare that Caroline originally threw out. "Adores me. If I want him, he comes. No questions asked."

Bonnie had enough sense to stay quiet as the two girls worked themselves into laying out ground rules to a bet Elena would more then likely have forgotten by morning. But this, she knew, was more for Caroline. As she always saw herself in competition with Elena. What was worse, if it could be worse, was that it was a competition she was in alone as Elena didn't think that way. And Bonnie wished Caroline didn't either, as it sold herself far, far less than what she was worth.

"Alright, call him." Elena gestured wildly with her cup.

"Elena," Bonnie was aware that she was trying to appeal to the drunken friend, but she'd been in this situation with the two of them long enough to know there was no reasoning with Caroline. "Really?"

Saying nothing, Elena just smiled and leaned heavily against Bonnie. The three girls looked over to the guys. Matt pulled his cell out of his pocket took one look at the text, then over to Caroline. What followed was a series of pantomimes that neither of them seemed to understand. Actually, Bonnie was willing to bet they were having two entirely different silent conversations, until Caroline gave up. The blonde sat back with an angry huff; across the yard poor Matt threw his hands up in frustration.

Elena laughed as she pulled out her cell. "Watch and learn."

Glancing around the yard, Bonnie realized that she hadn't seen Stefan since this argument began

"Hey, come here." Elena paused as Stefan obviously replied. "No, now. Well, where are you….oh…okay…never mind." Dejectedly, she clicked off her cell. "He's…eating."

"That must one awesome bowl of pretzels." Caroline laughed.

"Well, if he gets here within the next half-hour he'll still beat Matt." Was Elena's petulant response.

Caroline, very much aware that Bonnie had been too quiet throughout the whole thing, narrowed her eyes. Her friend may have been quiet but if she was trying to keep the grin off her face she was failing miserably. "I don't know what you're laughing at, Bon. You'll be lucky if you can get Tyler home tonight, let alone to leave the keg long enough to come see what you want."

"This is all you and Elena, don't bring us into it."

"See how smug she was when she said that," Elena challenged. "Everything is 'us' and 'we' now."

Bonnie couldn't wipe the smile off her face if she wanted, but she knew not to say anything.

"You really think you can get him over here."

"Matt isn't over here because you are the single worse charades player ever. And the two of you are still getting to know each other so he doesn't know how to decipher your flailing about. And if Elena was sober she'd have known to tell Stefan to come here when he was done instead of telling him to forget it. Which is why he's over there with the guys and not here."

"I didn't," But Elena tried to recall the phone conversation. "Oh, right. I'd like to see you do better."

"I'm not playing this game with the two of you." Bonnie protested, but her two friends continued to needle and prod until she finally gave in. "Okay, but I don't want to hear anything out of either of you when I do this."

Confident that Bonnie wasn't going to be able to pull Tyler from the keg, Caroline quickly agreed. "But hey, no…witch stuff."

Not the least bit offended, Bonnie shook her head. "Unlike the two of you, I know how to call my boyfriend."

Looking across the yard, she easily picked out Tyler amongst the group of boys chugging large plastic cups of beer. It didn't take long for her to catch his eye, as he always seemed to know when she was watching him. When he gave a nod of acknowledgement, she smiled and gave a crook of her finger to call him over.

Caroline huffed when Tyler, almost instantly, tossed his cup aside and started towards them. "Unbelievable."

***&***

"It's almost like she's landing a plane." Tyler observed as he watched the silent conversation between Matt and Caroline. "And why doesn't she just text you again?"

Matt threw his arms up in frustration. "Because it's Caroline." And although it could be annoying at times, it was just part of her charm. "I'm just going to go get her a coke."

Tyler laughed as his friend walked away. "Grab one for Bonnie, too." When Matt turned around and gave him an odd look, he simply shrugged. "You're already going that way."

"Hey, Lockwood." Mick approached him as Matt walked away. He held the freshly rolled joint out. "Wanna pass?"

Tyler absently waved away the offer. "I'm good." Because he was there, Tyler got a fresh cup of beer for Stefan. Figured he needed something to wash the taste of animal blood out of his mouth.

"That's right." Placing the joint between his lips, he cupped his hand round the lighter as he brought the flame to the tip. "Lockwood's a kept man, now." He inhaled deeply before handing off to Cort. "Can't get down anymore, can't hang with his boys."

"Yeah, because leaving _her_ to hang out with you…" Tyler gave a nod towards his girl. "Would make me the biggest idiot in town."

Morris laughed. "Man's gotta point." He looked over his shoulder at the three girls. "Look at her man."

Tyler had just brought the cup to his lips when Bonnie smiled, a smile that nearly stopped his heart in his chest. The look in her eye when she crooked her finger almost predatory. With a smile, he tossed the cup away and went to her. How could he not?

Bracing his arms on the glider so that he was practically crowding Bonnie, Tyler leaned in to take her mouth in a hungry kiss. Her mouth, he thought as her hands slid into his hair, fuck if her mouth wasn't just the best thing he'd ever known. Despite the noise level, he heard the soft whimper that escaped her.

"Tyler," Because she was on the glider as well, Elena gave the boy a shove. He was practically leaning across her to get to Bonnie. "Get off."

When Tyler pulled back with a growl, Bonnie was sure to keep his face framed in her hands as she knew his eyes would not be their normal shade of brown. Nipping at his chin to ensure she had his full attention. "Hey."

"Hey." There was still a smile gracing her lips, her eyes a deep mossy green. He wanted her alone. Wished he never suggested this stupid party so he could be back home in bed with her. Just alone with her. "Come dance with me." Taking her hand in his, he pulled her down to the grass where they mingled with the few other dancing couples back their way.

As the song started off slowly, Bonnie wrapped her arms around his neck. Giving a contented sigh when he bent near double to bury his face in her neck and wrap his arms around her waist. "Have we ever danced together?"

Not bothering to pull back, Tyler shook his head. Though he realized that they must have. Years of friendship and their were few parties either of them missed. There had to be a dance or two in there somewhere. In fact he knew there was. But none of them seemed to matter. This would be their first. A hundred years from now this would be the one he remembered.

As the song picked up, so did their rhythm. Bonnie closed her eyes, losing herself in Tyler and the music.

When she started to move, Tyler found he had to pull back. And as he watched Bonnie, watched the way her body swayed to the rhythm, he wasn't nearly as disappointed as he thought he would be. Bonnie dancing was…

Her eyes were closed and she didn't move with music but as if she were a part of it. Small hands fisted in his shirt so that they remained close and he had no choice but to move with her. He knew she loved to dance, anyone who knew Bonnie knew that. But he couldn't have known what it was like to have her tight little body moving against him. To be able to touch her, kiss her, hold her. To know that at the end of the night he would go to sleep with her in his arms. And when he woke up, hers would be the first face he saw.

"Bunny?" Tyler didn't know what he wanted to say, didn't think he had the words. But when her eyes opened, he saw he didn't have to say anything. She knew. Helpless to do other wise, bodies still moving together, Tyler kissed her. How could he not?

Twenty minutes later the three couples sat together around the fire pit. Bonnie sat propped in the corner of the bench, Tyler was laying against her; his back to her chest. Stefan was sitting on the wood railing arms wrapped around Elena who was standing in front of him. While Caroline and Matt shared the wicker chair.

"I'm so disappointed in you, Tyler." Caroline began. "I mean you pranced over here like an eager puppy."

Drunk and happy with the world in general, Tyler gave a good natured grin . "Dude did you see how fucking sexy she looked when she crooked her finger like that." Was sure that if she had asked him to carry her to California on his back he'd have agreed to it.

"Real sweet talker you got there, Bonnie." Matt laughed at his friend.

"You should hear him when he really gets going." Bonnie ran her fingers through his hair, turning his glassy brown eyes to her again. She couldn't help but to smile down at him. "You are so wasted." But the admonishment was spoken just before her lips met his.

Tyler wondered if she knew just how completely she washed over him whenever they touched. That he felt as if whatever goodness and light that was inside her, became a part of him. He didn't even know how to begin to describe to her the warmth he felt inside and out at just the simplest touch from her.

"Stop it." Caroline objected.

"Get a room." Elena advised.

"Dude." Matt.

"They're just jealous." Bonnie whispered softly against his lips.

"That's because they don't understand." Tyler shifted so that his head lay against her shoulder. "Grams," He smiled when Bonnie's arms wrapped tightly around his shoulders. "I can't look at her without wanting to touch her. I touch her I want to kiss her. I kiss her and-"

"I think they get it." Bonnie stopped him from completing that line of thought. Thought maybe she should stop him from talking altogether. He was drunk, otherwise he wouldn't be so open about his feelings. Part of her didn't want him to be. As his feelings were hers, what right did anyone else have to them. The other part didn't want to take this from him. Usually drunk Tyler was followed by fighting Tyler. He liked that he was finally feeling secure enough to open himself up to their friends in this way.

"You know what Grams told me once," His voice had taken on a faraway quality. "That I loved Bonnie before I even knew what love was. I guess it makes sense...I can't remember a time when I didn't, you know. And I don't know if you guys noticed but I can be a real dick sometimes."

"No." Stefan was the first to voice sarcastically.

"You a dick?" Matt was quick to join in. "Never would have thought it."

"I've seen no evidence of this." Caroline offered.

Too drunk to actually catch the sarcasm in everyone's voice, Elena thought this was the best time to voice her opinion. "You can be a real dick a lot of the time."

Bonnie tried not to laugh, but she couldn't help it. Drunk Elena had always been fun. Even when it was at her boyfriends expense. But since Tyler wasn't just as gone as Elena he let the insult pass unchecked.

"But she knows that part of me." He continued, probably honestly unaware of the other's comments. "She knows and she smiles at me anyway." And that smile was his life. His world. "So, she crooks that finger and smiles at me like she does…I'm going anywhere she wants."

Matt grinned over at Tyler. He had to admit he'd never seen his friend as happy as he was in that moment. "I can practically see the leash, bro."

"Hey, I'm not ashamed. This woman," He angled his head so that he could smile up at her. "This woman owns me."

There was a smile playing at the corners of Caroline's lips. It was more then what he said, it was how he said it. The utter admiration and honesty in his voice. "Okay, Bonnie." She began relunctantly. "Maybe I get it a little."


	12. Chapter 12

**I disclaim. I own nothing.**

**AN: So I know that Miss Mystic Falls showed that only Bonnie, Stefan, and Elena were in Alaric's class together. But my story is way AU from when Grams died and I had already put them in that class together a couple of chapters ago. Not really important, but just wanted to add that.**

**Chapter 12**

"As my friends you two should really share in my pride."

Standing against the bank of lockers, Elena and Bonnie waited for Caroline to finish exchanging her books.

"Caroline, I'm never not proud of you."

"Aw, thanks Bonnie. But you have no idea what I'm referring to, do you?" She only had to look over at her friends to see them shaking their heads. "Matt and I finished our project. Like done. Two days early."

Duly impressed, Bonnie grinned at her friend. "That is impressive. So, a good portion of those times you and Matt said you were studying…you were actually studying."

"There's a bet I would have lost." Elena leaned her head against the locker behind her. "Bonnie and I are going to have to pound ours out in the next two days."

With a frown, Caroling closed her locker. "You and Bonnie? Didn't Tyler 'call' Bonnie, what happened."

"Bitchy Elena of old reared her head." Tyler answered as he came up behind Bonnie, wrapping his arms tightly around her waist. "No offence, Stefan."

"None taken." Stefan answered simply, earning a swipe to his chest from his girlfriend.

"Bonnie and I have partnered on every project since first grade, it's not going to change now just because she and Tyler are together."

"So," Caroline looked between Tyler and Stefan. "Are you....?" This could quite possible be one of her biggest fears. It's not like she would begrudge Stefan friends, but she liked that Matt and Tyler were best buddies. Selfishly she liked that Stefan wasn't as close to Tyler and therefore double dates between Stefan, Elena, Bonnie, and Tyler wouldn't be common place. It may be ridiculous, but she feared that if Tyler and Stefan became close it would pull Bonnie a little further away from her. "Are you two partners?"

"We are." Tyler mumbled from Bonnie's neck. "And we're done." Admittedly, Stefan would have probably been the last guy he chose to partner on a project with. But Elena really put up a fight, to the point where Tyler had to struggle with the urge to smother her. Bonnie thought it would give him a good opportunity to get to know Stefan; as the vampire was someone who had a good understanding of what he was going through.

To say he'd been unhappy with the arrangement was an understatement. But considering their subject was history and Stefan lived through a good portion of it, research had been a breeze. The guy really did know a shitload about both World Wars, it was kind of hard to narrow down what information to use.

"We finished a couple days ago." Stefan added. "What about you two?"

"Us," Elena shared a look with Bonnie. "Oh, you know….we're, what…"

"Going to start working on it right after school today." Bonnie finished with a decisive nod.

"Like, immediately." Elena agreed.

Matt was the one to inform them before class started that Sheriff Forbes was on campus. Naturally everyone looked to Caroline for some sort of answer, to which she had none. There hadn't been any news regarding more bodies turning up, no fights had broken out, and no one mentioned anything about something being stolen; so everyone figured whatever the Sheriff was there for wasn't worth wondering about.

But the door had barely closed at the back of the last student entering class, when a sharp knock sounded. Sure enough when Alaric opened the door Sheriff Forbes was standing there. They had a brief whispered conversation that ended with them both turning to one student in particular.

"Bonnie," Alaric motioned her towards the door.

Naturally the implications rushed fast and furious through her mind. A common thread lacing them together, nearly paralyzing her with fear. "I…Dad?" She didn't recognize that small scared voice as her own.

Elizabeth hated this, hated having to be so official to a girl she loved as her own. Hated what she was about to do to a child who was still getting over one loss. "I need you to come with me, Bonnie."

But Bonnie didn't think she could, didn't think her legs would hold if she stood up. Seemed as if her entire body shut down in defense. But then Tyler was there, gathering up both their things before pulling Bonnie against his side.

"Tyler," Elizabeth started to tell him to stay, but she saw the way Bonnie leaned into him, and decided to remain quiet. "Come on. But you two," She sent a pointed look to Elena and Caroline who started to get up as well. "Stay." Before the girls could argue she quickly ushered Bonnie and Tyler out of the room.

"Sheriff Forbes." In the hall, Tyler stopped her before she could take a step. He understood not saying anything in front of the class. Understood protecting Bonnie's privacy. But he couldn't put her through the torment of having to wait to hear what the Sheriff had to say. It wasn't fair, it wasn't right. "What's going on?"

"My Dad?" Bonnie didn't think she'd be able to take something happening to him. She couldn't take this loss, not this one.

"Sweetie, your father is…" Fine wasn't the right word, good didn't seem to fit either. There were so many words she wanted to ascribe to Sean Bennett, but none seemed appropriate. "Uninjured." A bastard, a piss poor excuse for a parent, but uninjured. "Just come on, I'll explain."

Relief came swiftly, as Bonnie couldn't think of a single thing that could be worse then what she'd imagined. Somehow she managed to hold back the venom that was on the tip her tongue just waiting to be let loose on the Sheriff. But this woman wasn't just the Sheriff, wasn't just Caroline's mom, Elizabeth Forbes was someone Bonnie had loved since she was a child. So she held her anger in check, even if letting someone think-even for a few seconds-that their dad was dead wasn't just the shittiest thing in the world.

Bonnie couldn't think of a single thing that the Sheriff needed to speak with her about that couldn't be said in front of the class and spare her the pain of the last few seconds. Unless someone had turned up dead and they decided to question the student body one by one. A horrible thought really, but one Bonnie was better at dealing with then what she'd thought before. And with this new train of though she felt confident when she told Tyler to head back to class.

"Are you sure?" Tyler's gaze went from Bonnie's face to the Sheriff. Granted, his mind had gone to that same place Bonnie's had. And the Sheriff had put that fear to rest, but something told Tyler he needed to stay. That there was something going on he just would not like one bit. "I can stay."

"I'm fine." Placing a hand over his chest, she allowed the easiness she felt to flow into him. Wanting him to know that she wasn't worried, so he shouldn't be either. Of course she felt his discomfort, his confusion in regards to the situation. She could have taken it from him. Transferred their emotions so that he wouldn't worry. But Tyler's feelings were the one line she refused to cross.

What she felt for him was so big, just so much more then anything she'd ever known, she was amazed it hadn't burst out of her yet. And it was important to her that his feelings, were his alone. She would never manipulate them. Because she simply could not bare the thought of his feelings for her not being as real as the ones she had for him. "Besides, you have to let Elena and Caroline know my Dad's okay. Otherwise they'll both be down here as soon as the bell rings."

"Okay." Cupping her cheek in one hand, Tyler leaned in to brush his lips over the corner of her mouth. The hint of a kiss not nearly enough to satisfy the hunger that he always had for her. Then he couldn't think of any situation in which he'd have enough of Bonnie.

Elizabeth politely averted her gaze as the two stayed close together for a few moments. Wondered if she'd ever get use to seeing them all so grown up. Then Tyler stepped back and cut her with a heated glare so that it was all she could do not to roll her eyes. For as long as she'd known Tyler Lockwood he was more often then not looking at just about everyone with something akin to contempt in his eyes. Especially anybody he saw coming between him and his 'Bunny'.

The boy, Elizabeth thought as she watched him walk away, was spoiled rotten. Always had been. And a large part of the credit went to Sheila Bennett. Her lips curled sadly as she thought about how much of a kick Sheila would get out of seeing the two of them together now. "Okay," She placed a hand on Bonnie's shoulder and lead her down to the administrative offices. "We're going to be using the VP's office." Opening the door, she ushered the girl into the office. "Bonnie this is Annette DeMarco, she's a social worker."

Bonnie took the woman's hand in a firm shake, trying not to let her confusion show. "What's going on?"

"Why don't you have a seat." Annette gestured to the chair next to hers while Sheriff Forbes leaned against the side of the desk.

"Bonnie, I received a call-several actually-from your father, his attorney, as well as CPS. It would appear that he's decided to relocate permanently to London."

That wasn't right. Bonnie knew what her father was, no matter what she said to her friends she really didn't harbor any illusions in regards to him. But this…he wouldn't just up and decide they were moving to London without calling her. He certainly wouldn't send the Sheriff and a social worker to break the news to her. More importantly… "I can't move to London." And leave Tyler, that was unimaginable. Elena and Caroline would flip. "I can't leave…" Any of them, there was no way she could.

"It would seem," Elizabeth gave a tired sigh. It had been decided that she'd be the one to tell Bonnie. Annette believed that their history would make it easy for Bonnie to hear it from someone who loved her. "That Sean realized that. He thought it best that you stay here, with your friends, and finish up school."

Realizing that nothing that had happened thus far was at all as she thought it would be, Bonnie refrained from jumping to any conclusions. Keeping quiet she nodded, mentally urging the Sheriff to get to it.

"But considering you are still underage-and trust me it broke my heart to do it-I urged him to reconsider. That's when Sean informed me...Bonnie," There'd been a lot she'd seen, things no one would imagine a small town Sheriff would know. But Elizabeth would rank what she was about to do to Bonnie among some of the worse. "Your father signed over his parental rights."

And it was like those words wiped her mind completely clean, because Bonnie could only stare blankly at the two women. "I don't understand."

Bonnie listened as Ms. DeMarco began to explain. She talked about the legal aspects that had gone on without Bonnie's knowledge. She talked about things like temporary guardianship and permanent placement. Bonnie caught like every third word. At least that's what it felt like, as nothing was any clearer. Actually it started to make even less sense to her. Because, from what she gathered her father had essentially put her up for adoption. And that….she was seventeen, she was practically out of his hair as it was. How could that even be legal? Who….why… "I don't understand." She repeated when the woman stopped speaking.

"Bonnie," Ms. DeMarco began softly. "Your father felt that it was in your best interest to be in the care of someone else. Someone who would be more readily available to you, while allowing you to stay with your friends until you went away to college."

That…would have actually made more sense if her Grams were still alive. If Bonnie were honest with herself that may have been preferable. But now that.. "That's crazy." She had no other family in Mystic Falls. Her father wasn't even particularly close to anyone despite having grown up here. And she highly doubted there was anyone chomping at the bit to adopt a seventeen year old. Which could only mean… "I'm going into the system." Isn't that what they called it on _Law & Order?_ God, those episodes of _SVU_ never ended well.

Seeming to understand where her thoughts had gone, Elizabeth moved quickly to assuage those fears. "Sweetie no. You're not going into foster care. Sean didn't sign you over to the state but to someone else."

Like a car. She wondered if he posted an add. "Someone else?" There wasn't anyone else. "Who?"

Naturally this was the moment the knock sounded at the door. Bonnie didn't turn to look, actually she barely heard the knock. But there was a sinking feeling in her gut, that only got worse at the sound of the voice.

"I'm not late am I."

Sheriff Forbes managed to pull her eyes away from the stricken girl, to look over at the new arrival. "Actually, Damon. Your timing is impeccable."

* * *

Tyler was aware that it was killing Elena and Caroline not to bombard him with questions the second he walked back into the room. Part of him wanted to act as if he didn't see them. During the full moon cycle, when the instincts of the wolf over powered those of the man, the need to keep every part of Bonnie to himself was almost over baring. So he easily misinterpreted their concern as an attempt to usurp his place as Bonnie's mate.

_Boyfriend_, he mentally corrected. He was Bonnie's boyfriend. But he wanted to be so much more. _Needed_ to be the reason for every smile, every tear, every emotion she felt; good or bad. Wanted to be everything to her as she was to him. So the resentment he tried to hold in check when it came to her two best friends was always harder to control during the full moon.

"Tyler." Caroline waited until Alaric's back was turned before tossing a ball of paper at him.

It caught him one the side of his head, didn't hurt, but the fact that she dared do it had him whirling around to glare at her.

Not at all intimidated by him, Caroline leaned forward in her seat to whisper. "What's going on?"

"Bonnie sent me back before the Sheriff could say." He whispered back.

Caroline's eyes shifted to Alaric, making sure his back was still turned. "Her Dad?"

Tyler shook his head. "He's fine. That's all I know." And it was driving him crazy. Tyler hated not knowing what was going on with Bonnie, hated feeling cut off from her.

Recently, after the incident with Damon at the Grill, Tyler had tried to convince Bonnie to perform a spell he found in Grams' Grimoire. A spell that would connect them, allow them sense one another's emotions. Tyler explained that it would allow him to know when she was in trouble and vice versa. He tried to get her to understand that a simple awareness of one another wasn't enough.

Maybe she understood his underlying motives; his desperation to have as much of her as he could. Or maybe she didn't view Damon in quite the same threatening way he did. Either way, she refused. Kept going on about how she couldn't compromise his feelings. It lead to an argument…fight, really. Which ended with him spending several miserable hours in the spare room, until Bonnie crept inside and curled up at his side. Neither of them said anything, but then, they didn't have to.

So although he still wanted very much for her to perform the spell, he backed off. He wanted all of Bonnie, but he never wanted to upset her.

When the second ball of paper Elena threw caught him in the ear, he didn't even hesitate in throwing it back at her. Disappointed, but not surprised, when Stefan leaned over and knocked it out of the air before it could hit his girlfriend. Giving Tyler a wry expression as he did it.

As if the whole incident hadn't even occurred, Elena gave a nod to direct Tyler's gaze outside.

Brows drawn in a mixture of impatience and confusion, Tyler turned to glance out the window. And wondered why he hadn't noticed just how dark it had become. The clouds in the sky nearly black. Although he had no idea what the weather was forecasted to be, he was sure this hadn't been in the cards. This was Bonnie. This was Bonnie hurting bad.

Without a word, Tyler was out of his desk and heading for the door. Fortunately the bell rang only seconds after he exited the room. Not that it would have mattered, Tyler was focused entirely on getting to Bonnie. Which is why he wasn't aware of the two girls being behind him until Elena ran into his back at the front desk.

"What the hell, Elena?" But his glare stretched to Caroline as well.

"Did you really think I was going to leave my best friend alone when she was feeling like," Elena gestured to the window. The rain was coming down now in sheets. "_That_."

"_Our_ best friend." Caroline corrected. "And, yeah."

"Can I help you students?"

"Where's the Sheriff and Bonnie?" Tyler demanded.

"I don't think-"

Not in the mood to be jerked around, Tyler simply walked away. Heading around the front desk and down the hall that held the Principles' offices. Once again ignoring demands to know what he was doing.

The VP's office was the first he came to, walking right in when he saw Bonnie sitting inside.

"Tyler," Sheriff Forbes tried not to sound as exasperated as she felt. "What are you doing here?"

"What's going on?" His eyes only for Bonnie, who sat shell-shocked in her chair. "Bunny?" He approached her, kneeling in front of her chair. "Bunny, what's wrong?"

The fact that she was currently in a place where nothing was making sense, hearing Tyler's voice was what Bonnie needed most. Her hands came up slowly, framing his worried face. This made sense, he made sense. Her entire world had spun on its axis, again. And just like always he was there, anchoring her when she was sure she'd simply spin out of control.

Leaning in Bonnie rested her brow against Tyler's. Finally feeling safe enough to allow her tears to fall.

"But she's seventeen." Caroline was pacing the hall outside of the administrators office. Ms. DeMarco had thought it would be best for Bonnie if they all left her alone for a few minutes with Tyler.

The Sheriff had ushered Caroline and Elena out. Once in the hall she quietly explained to the two girls what was going on. Though much like Bonnie, neither of them fully understood what was going on.

"You can't just give a seventeen year old away can you?" Caroline turned to Elena. "And who gives a kid to him?" She gestured angrily towards Damon. "I mean, what kind of father just hands their teenage daughter off to a twenty year old douche bag?"

"I'll have you know I've been taking care of Bonnie for a long time." Damon, who'd been talking with the Sheriff and Ms. DeMarco, finally broke away from the conversation to join Caroline and Elena. "He trusts me with her. And I actually got a shining recommendation from the good Sheriff that convinced a judge and Ms. DeMarco over there."

Elena shook her head. True she'd seen a different side to Damon. Thought she understood there was more to him then what he presented everyone with. But this…she didn't think she could sit by and allow this to happen. "I'm calling Stefan."

Damon rolled his eyes. The fact that Elena honestly thought every problem that came her way could be solved with those three words was utterly adorable. But, he was too busy patting himself on the back to fully appreciate it. If he had to, Damon would rank this first amongst his nefarious schemes. Really, the brilliance was in it's simplicity.

Things were moving too slowly, Bonnie was becoming more attached to the dog, and Sean Bennett proved to be utterly useless. Taking Bonnie from him had been best for everyone. And the best part, Damon thought as he tuned his hearing into the whispered coversation Bonnie and Tyler were having back in the VP's office, the absolute best part of it all…

"Bonnie," Tyler was speaking softly. "Of course he did something. Your father just wouldn't…"

"He had these two watches," Bonnie interrupted, voice just as soft as Tyler's. "A wrist watch and a pocket watch my Grams gave him. One was a protection charm, the other contained vervain. Damon couldn't have compelled him…"

"Damon," Stefan practically growled his brother's name. Behind him Elena and Caroline were in a near blind panic. "What did you do?"

"I know this may come as a surprise to you little brother, but I did a good thing." Damon smirked though he was completely annoyed at Stefan's intrusion. "I'm going to provide Bonnie with a good home. And you two," He pointed at Caroline and Elena. "Should be thanking me. Bonnie could have gone to foster care. Or London."

"London?"

Damon smiled, because really people had been the same for thousands of years. Selfish, inherently selfish. "That's where her dad's new job is. Caroline, your mother tried to convince him that it was the best place for our little Bonnie. All the way over there, away from you two, making new friends, starting a whole new life. Forgetting all about small town life and her small town friends."

"Bonnie wouldn't just forget us." Elena argued. But she would be gone; thousands of miles away. Living a life Elena would know nothing about, wouldn't even be able to relate to. And Bonnie would make new friends, because Bonnie never had any trouble making friends. Experiencing new things while the rest of them were stuck in their every day lives.

As if he could see the thoughts in her mind, Damon smirked. "Eventually, you'd lose her."

"Elena," Stefan tried for patience, but when it was obvious he was the only one thinking rationally, patience wasn't exactly easy to come by. "Don't listen to him. The last place Bonnie needs to be is in Damon's care."

"She doesn't need to be in London either." Thoughts having run along the same lines as Elena, Caroline brought up a point she thought they all could agree on. "So far away from everyone who loves her."

"See," Damon gestured to the blonde. "Little Caro is finally starting to make sense."

"No, she's not." Stefan turned to Caroline. "No you're not. Let's all stop pretending for a moment like we don't know what he is. Understand what's going on. Bonnie's father terminated his parental rights. Think about that, think about what she must be feeling right now. Do you really think it's best for her to be with Damon?"

"But, she wouldn't be with just Damon." Elena began timidly. Maybe she hated herself for this, but she needed Bonnie. Couldn't stand the thought of her so far away. Or worse with a stranger. "You'll be there. You can help her, take care of her."

"No he won't." Damon tossed a casual arm over Elena's shoulder. "I'll take care of her. Now if you all will excuse me I have to go fill out some paper work. Change of address and the whatnot."

"I have to find my mom." Caroline muttered before rushing back into the administrators office.

"I know what you must think of me." Elena began softly, not quite able to bring herself to look at Stefan. "Preferring Bonnie to stay with Damon then losing her. But, it's not as if we can change it now anyway. Whether Damon used compulsion or not, it's gone through all the legal channels."

"That's the thing." With a sad smile, Stefan pulled Elena into his arms. "Listening to Bonnie talking to Tyler just now…apparently Sheila left her son well protected."

It took a moment, not because she didn't understand. But…it was unthinkable really. No matter how poor she believed Sean Bennett's parenting skills to be, she never would have thought him capable of this. "He just gave her up.

Stefan pressed a kiss to her brow. "Yeah, apparently he did." At least that's what it looked like. He had his doubts. He knew his brother. With Damon nothing was as it seemed.


	13. Chapter 13

**I disclaim. I own nothing.**

**AN: So what happens when a vampire is crazy about a witch who's in love with a werewolf who has anger management issues? Things get...murky.**

**Chapter 13**

"Dad." Voice bouncing off the walls, Tyler rushed through the house until he came to the door of his father's office. Normally, he would knock then wait until his father granted him access. But there was no time for that and he nearly pulled the door off it's hinges in his desperation. "Dad, I need your help."

Richard Lockwood glanced up from the papers in front of him to give his son an impatient look. Only to become even more unhappy when his wife appeared in the doorway as well. "Not now, Tyler."

"Yes, now. It's Bonnie…her Dad…that fucker-"

"Language Tyler." Carol admonished as she took the chair opposite her husband's desk.

"Bonnie's dad signed away his rights."

Carol, who just started to raise the tumbler to her lips, frowned in confusion. "She's seventeen. What was so urgent that he couldn't just wait a few months?"

"He took a job in London and he gave some bull-" Off his mother's pointed look Tyler sighed. The woman turned a blind eye to her husband's abuse but swearing she just could not take. "Load of crap story about not wanting to pull Bonnie out of school. But it's not like he hasn't left her alone before. He was never home anyway, so what would it matter. Other them him being a dick. He gave her away!" He grabbed the empty chair besides his mother and sent it flying into the wall. Carol jumped at his outburst while his father looked on calmly. "Just tossed aside the only good thing he's ever contributed to the world."

"So she's a ward of the state now." Richard leaned back in his chair. "Why don't Elizabeth or Jenna take her in. Though neither of them are exactly hands on with the girls they have."

"Bonnie's not a ward of the state or whatever. Damon Salvatore is her guardian now."

"Well, problem solved. Bonnie stays in Mystic Falls and you can stop acting like an over grown child."

"I'm going to have to disagree." Carol began. She'd seen the disbelief on her son's face quickly give way to anger. Knew what the peak of his anger could be during the full moon cycle. Better, she knew what the peak of his anger could be when Bonnie was involved. "I can't believe Sean would sign his seventeen year old daughter over to a twenty…what…five, twenty-six year old man. One who has a history of running around with teenage girls."

Richard gave a tired sigh. "Look the girl isn't leaving. What else do you want me to do?"

"Damon Salvatore doesn't deserve to be any where near her." Tyler began slowly. "She belongs with me. She should be here. With me."

"Out of the question." Richard dismissed immediately. "Do you know what it would look like if we move our son's girlfriend into this house? No, it's just asking for trouble."

"How would it be any different from me living there, with her?"

"Because you're a teenage boy, people won't see anything wrong with you taking advantage of your girlfriend's absentee father. She moves in here, it looks as though the girl went and got herself into trouble."

"It's not the fifties, dear." Carol rolled her eyes as she went to the wet bar in the corner to pour herself another glass. "Girls don't 'get themselves into trouble' now days. And since the girl isn't pregnant, it should be a rumor that's cleared up fairly soon."

"Stop it." Tyler nearly shouted. "Stop referring to Bonnie as 'the girl', like she's some minor problem you're simply putting up with."

"She is." Richard answered, he noticed the darkening of his son's features but did not heed the warning in his eyes. "Granted Bonnie Bennett is leaps and bounds above that trash you were running around with before. She's still a witch. Don't forget it was a witch that placed this curse on us."

"They didn't curse me." Tyler growled. "Bitten, not born. Remember? Bonnie saved me."

Richard was around the desk in a instant and roughly grabbing his son by the collar; surprised when Tyler shoved him away. He reached for his son again, only for the boy to knock him back a few steps. Temper spiked he grabbed Tyler by the scruff of his neck, tightening his grip the more the boy struggled until losing patience and all but throwing his son into the wall. "I'm sick of you and this damn girl." He glared contemptuously, narrowed eyes like flint. "Don't you see, she makes you weak. This thing you have with her…it's high school. It won't last. I suggest you end it now before it makes you even more foolish. You want to take pleasure in her body, can't say that I blame you, but you will not see her beyond that."

When Tyler would later tell Bonnie he really couldn't remember what happened next; it would be the truth. It was like a red haze clouded his vision. He didn't see the fear in his father's eyes, didn't hear his mother's scream, or remember giving his body permission to move. What he would remember was standing in the broken remnants of the mahogany built-ins, glaring down at his father.

"Help me protect my girl." There were tears in Tyler's tawny eyes. "That's all I asked you to do. Just help me keep my life out of that bastards hands and you couldn't-" The words were cut off when Richard jumped to his feet.

Tyler grabbed him mid-charge, throwing him into the opposite wall. When it looked as though Richard was going to try again, Carol stepped between them.

"Enough! Richard, that's enough!"

"You'd go against me, your own father, for some girl." Richard was practically trembling with a mix of rage and fear. No one had ever looked at him as Tyler was looking at him now; as if the next words out of mouth could cost him his life. "You'd choose her over your family."

"Choose?" Tyler bit the word off. "There is no choice. There's Bonnie. Just Bonnie."

Carol waited until Tyler marched out of the room to relax her stance. Honestly she thought one or both of them would run through her. And because her nerves were still jittering over that fact, she went back to the bar. "Well, that was brilliant Richard. He could have killed you."

Pride already very much bruised, Richard straightened his tie. "He'd have tried. And regretted it."

"He's stronger then you." Carol spoke slowly as if talking to a dimwitted child.

"What are you talking about?

Carol rolled her eyes at the confused expression on her husband's face. "Tyler imprinted on Bonnie before he could crawl."

Richard gave an impatient huff, he should have known better then to even begin this conversation with her. The woman rarely made sense. "And."

"You still don't get it. Tyler imprinted on a witch. A witch that is the direct descendent of Salem witches; on both sides of her family tree. Bonnie Bennett is a very powerful young woman and because she's chosen our son she makes him stronger." Finishing the last of her drink, she set the empty glass back on the tray. "Next time a wizened old witch comes to explain the ins and out of the supernatural, you might want to stop patting yourself on the back long enough to pay attention. You'd be surprised by what you might learn."

"I think I owe you an apology."

Bonnie, Elena, and Caroline were in Bonnie's bedroom packing up a few of her things to take to the Salvatore boarding house. Caroline's mom had recognized that leaving them at school would be pretty much a waste so she signed out Elena and Caroline while Damon signed out Bonnie.

Caroline had come into the room and immediately turned on Bonnie's stereo, not wanting their conversation to be overheard by anyone on the first floor. Though Bonnie and Elena knew that the one that really needed to be cut off from their conversation would actually hear every word.

"I think I should apologize, too."

From her spot at the foot of the bed, Bonnie looked up at her two friends with a frown. "Why?"

"I was glad when I heard you could have gone to London, but you weren't." Elena announced. "For a moment I was actually grateful to Damon, grateful that because of him you'd still be here…with me…and not…not here with me."

"I actually realized that if I'd been given the choice," Caroline began. "If someone came up to me and asked if I preferred you in London with your dad or here in Mystic Falls with Damon. My gut instinct would be to have you here. It's selfish, I know it's beyond selfish, and I'm sorry."

"Well, it's no worse then me." Bonnie gave a sad smile, knowing that she could say this here. That here she wouldn't be judged, with them she could say what she couldn't with anyone else. "After…when I realized what your mom was actually telling me…I wished…" The tears gathered in her eyes, but she battled them back. She wouldn't cry anymore, couldn't cry anymore. "I wanted to go back to when your mom first pulled me out of class, I wanted to go back and have her tell me he was dead. I wished my own father was dead because I didn't think it would hurt as much. What does that say about me?" Caroline and Elena moved quickly to flank their friend on the bed.

"It says more about him." Elena spoke softly, rubbing a comforting hand in circles across Bonnie's back. "It says how much he hurt you. Just how much he's let you down."

"You guys and Tyler…You're all I have left." In all the world, they were all she had, and she couldn't stand the thought of losing them. Realized she'd do anything to hang on to them. And that scared her. It made her feel out of control. That same dizzying madness she felt when she lost Grams. When her anger battled back the sadness, until it festered into physical pain that eventually turned to rage. After Grams death, Bonnie had known she been capable of anything. Would have done anything, just to make it stop hurting.

She was hurting now. Her sadness, her anger, and her power pumping away inside her so strongly she feared she'd explode if she didn't release it.

The comforting silence that engulfed the room and surrounded the three girls was broken when the open window carried in the sounds of screeching tires. Bonnie knew, even before the car door was slammed violently shut that Tyler was back. And she knew that she had to get to him before he came inside and glared at everyone out of gold eyes.

"That's Ty," She moved away from her two friends, by the time she got to the top of the stairs, Tyler was walking in the front door. "Hey," She held out her hand, beckoning him to her before the Sheriff or Ms. DeMarco could say anything to him.

Tyler took the stairs in two strides, wanting to get to Bonnie as quickly as possible. She wouldn't let him speak, simply brought his face to her neck. Giving him a chance to calm down.

"Uh-oh." Damon mocked from the bottom of the stairs. "Did someone not go on the paper like a good boy?"

"Not the time, Damon." Keeping her eyes on Damon's, she took Tyler's hands in hers. Leading him back into her room.

"Do you want us to…" Elena was on her feet, gesturing to the door.

"No, we'll just be a minute." Bonnie waved her friends off as she and Tyler headed into the bathroom. "Alright, talk to me."

Lifting herself onto the sink, Bonnie listened as Tyler began to tell her what happened with his father. He stalked the length of the bathroom, his anger coming off him in waves. The arousal that pooled low in her belly was a surprise, but she couldn't deny just how beautiful he looked. Didn't think she ever wanted him as much as she had in this moment. Thought that what they both needed in this moment was to take all the anger and frustration they felt at the moment and turn it into something constructive. Namely of the heavy breathing, clothes ripping variety.

"I hate him so fucking much." In one swift movement he reached out and pulled the towel rack from the wall.

"Hey, come here." When he shook his head and went back to prowling the room, Bonnie made her voice firmer. "Ty. Come here." She reached out and caught his sleeve, pulling at him until he relented enough to allow her to pull him closer.

Looking at him now, Bonnie could see the wolf in him. His chest heaving, even as the rest of his body was tense and just ready to attack. His eyes were gold, narrowed into violent slits. He looked exactly as she felt. And knowing him, she knew he was going to blow at any moment.

"Turn around." When he complied she tugged at his shirt until he got the hint and helped her pull it off. The scrape on his neck was faint, but she could still make out the slight imprint of his father's hand. His back was worse as the bruises were already taking on that ugly purple green color.

Her own anger spiked. Father or no, Richard Lockwood had no right to hurt Tyler. No one did. A possessive fury shot through her body. "I hate that he touched you. Marked you." Something inside her wanted to pull him close, replace the ugly bruises with marks of her own. The possessiveness she felt with Tyler was never like this, never this fierce. She had to pull back, take ten calming breaths to keep from wrestling him to the ground and taking him, marking him, in every way. "He doesn't have the right."

"They're just bruises now." He spoke softly, resting his head back against her shoulder. "I can barely feel them. One of the perks of what I am, I guess." But he couldn't deny that the heated touch of her fingers took away any lingering pain. "I have to change tonight.

Bonnie watched as the bruises faded just that bit more. She wasn't able to heal them, not completely. At least not yet. But she was getting there; with Tyler's help she'd have it mastered in no time. "I know. And nothing's changed. I'm going to take care of you. Just come back to the boarding house."

"Bunny." Tyler thought that may be the last place he needed to go.

"We can argue about this. I can pretend to relent. But I'll stop talking to you, then you'll get all upset, and show up at the boarding house any way." She placed a tender kiss on his shoulder. "It'll be easier all around if you just give in now." Because on this she wouldn't budge. Lately it seemed that every time she looked away, she lost someone she loved. Salvatore boarding house or no, Tyler would be with her.

"Okay. But only if you promise to stop taking all the fun out of our fights."

Bonnie's lips curled against his neck. "Promise."

"Why so glum, sugarplum?" Damon leaned on the doorjamb opposite his brother. The Sheriff and Annette were speaking in the living room. It wouldn't be long before he had Bonnie under his roof. And completely under his care. "I thought you always wanted a little sister."

"Considering what it is you want with Bonnie," Stefan sent his brother a bored look. "I'd prefer not to think of her that way. How'd you pull this off?"

With a smirk, Damon turned to look out the door. Part of him wanted to tell Stefan. Because really it was all quite simple. Time his arrival at Sean Bennett's door just right, when he took off both watches. Compel him to relocate to London, sign over his rights. Then more of the same with DeMarco and the judge to speed things along. Two days work, by the time it got back to Elizabeth it was already a done deal.

"You really want to know."

"Yeah," Stefan nodded, though he wasn't for a moment fooled into thinking Damon was actually going to tell him. "I really want to know."

Damon appeared to be thinking it over before angling closer to his brother. He looked as if he were mulling over what he wanted to say. "No, not yet."

"Damon," Stefan turned to his brother, concern written clearly on his face. "Did you think this through, I mean really think it through. Bonnie is still not over Sheila's loss, now her Dad's gone. Losing them is only going to make her hold on tighter to what she has." When Damon rolled his eyes, Stefan grew impatient. "Damon listen to me. What we are, what Bonnie and Tyler are...the way we feel love is not the same as a normal human. You've seen how possessive Bonnie is of Tyler, it's only going to be worse now."

The ever present smirk was on Damon's lips even as his eyes narrowed at his brother. "You actually sound concerned, Stefan. Almost as if you're worried about me screwing things up. Admit it," The knowing smile held just a hint of evil. "You're really digging the thought of the four of us, aren't you."

Stefan said nothing for a moment, telling himself he was simply choosing not to dignify that with an answer. But his refusal to respond, was all the answer his brother needed. "What are you hoping to accomplish with this?"

There was a long moment of silence. There were so many things Damon was looking to gain from this. So many things he knew was going to come from this. Supernaturals, such as they were, tended to have just a bit of darkness below the surface. And knew that because of that lurking darkness, Bonnie's feeling in regards to Tyler often twisted. He was actually counting on it. "Just you wait and see."


	14. Chapter 14

**I disclaim. I own nothing.**

**Chapter 14**

Damon stood against the doorjamb of what was now Bonnie's room. Located conveniently next to his. The little witch was nowhere to be seen, but there was storm in her room. An actual, literal, storm. The things she brought with her from her father's house were swirling around the room. Her clothes finding there way into the closet or the dresser. Picture frames and little mementos landing on the bedside tables and bookshelves. "Well, aren't we getting all kinds of powerful."

Although it was quite a show, he didn't stick around for the end. Instead setting out to find the choreographer herself. His first stop was Stefan's room, figuring she was wrapped in Elena and Stefan's well meaning-though misplaced-sympathetic arms. The couple was there, wrapped in the midst of a heavy make-out session that had Damon rolling his eyes. Bonnie, however, was no where to be seen.

"Ron. Hermione. I'm sorry to interrupt, but I've seen to have misplaced my little Ginny."

From her place across Stefan's chest, Elena didn't bother to turn and look at Damon. Really she didn't see the point of doing anything that didn't involve her lips on Stefan's. "I think she's out front waiting on Harry. Why don't you go find Pansy?"

"Way to run the Potter references into the grown, Elena." Damon gave an exasperated sigh, before turning serious only seconds later. "Really, where's Bonnie?"

Stefan turned his head, the smile wanting to curl his lips when Elena took the opportunity to trail kisses along his neck and jaw. "She's outside, waiting for Tyler."

Recognizing, but choosing to ignore the way his brother addressed him as if he were an idiot, Damon stepped away from the door. "Wasn't so hard, was it?" He turned to walk away, but stepped back inside to make a final point. "I'm totally Harry by the way."

In a blink Damon was outside, staring at Bonnie on the stone bench. To her credit the little witch didn't seem at all surprised by his sudden appearance. In fact she barely acknowledged his presence. He didn't mind however, as it gave him the opportunity to fully study her. She really was beautiful.

Especially now, a vision in moonlight. So beautifully broken.

He wondered if any one else could recognized the change in her. The way she allowed her sadness to give way to anger. Damon could practically see the way it built inside her, the way it broke her. He couldn't wait to watch as she put herself back together again. Knew she'd never be the happy, bubbly girl she'd been months prior.

Bonnie, this new Bonnie, was going to be a force. Those lovely sad eyes, on a truly beautiful face. Confidence radiating off of every inch of her tiny frame. All that anger just fueling her powers.

As he lowered himself down on the bench beside her, he wondered- kind of hoped- she'd do something. Release just a bit of that pent up anger. Because if he couldn't yet have her love, he wanted her hate.

When nothing flew at his head, he angled closer to her. Bonnie had been there several hours now. And hadn't spoken a single word since Fido went for his little jaunt through the woods. "I saw the spell you got going in your bedroom. You're getting stronger." And still not as powerful as she would be.

Bonnie shrugged, didn't see the point in pretending as if she hadn't heard him. "Simple spell."

"Is it one of Emily's?"

"Nope."

Not at all bothered by her coolness, Damon leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees. "So?"

"Buttons."

Damon's lips curled. "You've been awfully subdued. Haven't threatened to set me on fire once. I'm feeling neglected."

She angled her head so that she could look down at him. "I'm done _threatening_ to set you on fire, Damon"

It was hard to miss what she was really trying to tell him; next time he pissed her off she was going to forgo the preliminaries and just set him on fire. And Damon had no doubt she meant it. Which was really a shame, Bonnie was all kinds of hot when she was threatening. "How long does Lassie usually frolic in the woods before coming back to slobber all over you?"

"However long he feels like."

"Really? Here I thought the little fur balls liked to stay out until dawn. Until the change was over."

Not sure why she was explaining this Damon, but knowing she wasn't likely to be rid of him until he was ready to go, Bonnie gave a tired sigh. "During the full moon he does. But not before. It's just easier for him if he does." She turned to stare Damon directly in his eyes. "He needs to change, needs to allow the wolf freedom. But at the end of the day, he still needs me more. So he comes back to me way before dawn."

"Do you need him?"

"I do."

"Why?"

"Because I love him."

After this, nothing was said for a long while. The tension that was always between them seemed to be on a low simmer. But it didn't bother Damon, in fact, he enjoyed it. Was comforted by it. Because it meant she was aware of him, that no matter how indifferent she wanted to be she couldn't ignore him.

"How do you think this is going to work, Bonnie?" Damon hitched a challenging brow. "You think I'm just going to allow you to bring him into my house, just allow him to stay in your bed."

"Tyler goes where I go." Bracing her hands on the bench, Bonnie leaned closer to him. "So yeah, I think that's exactly how this is going to work."

It was perverse, truly it was, but Damon found her possessiveness of the dog to be quite sexy. It went to show that line she was so precariously balanced on. And either way it went worked in Damon's favor. "And what would you have done if your father had took you to London, were you going to drag Fido there."

"You and I both know there was never a chance of my dad taking me to London."

If there had been any color to Damon's face it'd have drained at those words. Because it would seem she knew what he'd done. But if that was the case, he had no doubt she'd have lit his ass on fire. Thinking it wise to say nothing, otherwise incriminating himself, he just waited for her to continue

Bonnie turned to look away from Damon, not wanting him to see the hurt in her eyes. "He could have gotten a job on Neptune and it never would have occurred to him to take me with him."

What got Damon more then what she said, was the way she said it. There was no sadness, just a bored sort of resignation that was somehow worse. It was a feeling Damon knew well; not having a parents love was one thing. Not even factoring into their life was altogether different. "You know, my father-"

"Damon," Bonnie stopped him before he could even begin. She didn't want to feel anything for Damon, least of all common ground. "Let's not…with the sharing hour. Please."

The rejection hurt, but Damon managed not to let it show. "You know what your problem is Bonnie," He couldn't help but smile when she rolled her eyes. "You and Stefan are a lot alike, you dwell on the negative. There is a bright side, you know."

"Oh, do share."

"You're not in foster care, you and Elena will practically be living together now, and Stefan is upstairs and not out hunting while Fido is traipsing through the woods."

The smile that had been toying at the corners of Bonnie's lips fell. "Stefan wouldn't drain Ty."

Damon's eyes narrowed. "What would you do if he did?" He watched her, noticed the way she opened her mouth then quickly closed it. "You'd kill him, wouldn't you."

"It wouldn't happen." Bonnie responded, refusing to look at Damon. "So, it's a non issue."

"You would. It scares you, but you're actually willing to kill for him." She didn't say anything, then she really didn't have to. "Think he's worth it. Worth killing for, losing Elena for."

Patience lost, Bonnie whirled on him. "What do you want me to say? What is it you want to hear? You think you have the market cornered on loving someone to the point where it makes you crazy? I love him. If someone hurts him, someone tries to take him from me…I really don't know what I'd do. And yes the fact that I don't know what I'd do to keep him with me scares me. Is that what you want to hear?"

Damon moved quickly, was on his knees in front of her before she could fully register what it was he was doing. "That's another thing you and Stefan have in common. You don't get it. Nothing about you is normal. Not your heartbeat, your blood, your feelings." He shifted until they were practically nose to nose. Despite the dark they saw each other clearly. "Stop trying to love him like you're some normal teenage girl."

Bonnie held his gaze despite herself. His voice was low, almost soothing, and all the more ominous for it. What was worse was that he seemed to understand a part of her she'd been denying from the moment she kissed Tyler.

"You are a witch. Own it, the way you want to own him." Damon needed Bonnie to go to that dark place. Needed her to tap into the side of her powers that frightened her. She was so close. The way she sensed his intent to harm Tyler and immediately became defensive. Answering the violence in him with a building violence of her own.

"You don't know what you're talking about." Bonnie denied weakly.

Her heart was pounding, her chest rising and falling with each shallow breath. It was all Damon could do to keep his eyes trained on hers. To maintain the slight distance between them and not crush her body to his. To consume her the way he'd been wanting for so long now. "I've seen the way you look at him." Didn't want to, didn't want to admit what was between his witch and her wolf. But denying what was between them would get him nowhere. Bonnie needed to accept the way she felt, embrace it fully, so that he could manipulate it. Tyler was her downfall. Tyler was how Damon was going to get her. "You want to mark him, lay claim to him. Keep him with you forever."

She should be pushing him away. Denying everything he said. But part of her was relieved. Actually relieved that someone else understood what it was she was feeling. Even if that someone else was Damon Salvatore. "How do you know?"

Trying his luck, unable to stop himself, Damon moved until his lips were against her ear. Slowly he licked her taste from his lips, savoring even that small sampling. "We've both seen it. The way Stefan sometimes looks at Elena. The way I look at you."

"Stop it." Jumping to her feet, Bonnie pushed him away. Holding up her arms, creating an invisible barrier between them to keep him from getting any closer. "You and I are nothing alike. What I feel for Tyler, what Stefan feels for Elena, it doesn't compare to whatever it is you're trying to convince the both of us you feel for me. I don't know what you're trying to do. And I don't care. But it stops now."

Damon smirked. "I'm not doing anything." His eyes narrowed playfully. 'What are you doing?"

"Don't play with me, Damon." Bonnie dropped her hands. "Whatever it is you think you know about my relationship with Tyler, you don't. Now I'm only going to say this one more time, whatever it is you're playing at ends now. Got it."

Damon held his hands up in surrender and somehow managed to keep the triumphant smile off is face. "Message received." He backed away slowly. "Night, Bonnie. Give Tyler my best."

_Bonnie heard crying. Thought it might be Caroline, was almost sure of it. There was fire. Moving like a living thing laying waste to everything in it's path. Everything but this clearing in the forest, this clearing made safe by magic. Magic used to keep safe the boy in her arms. _

_Tyler was in her arms. She couldn't, wouldn't, let the fire have Tyler. Wouldn't let him end this way._

_There was carnage and death and screams. It was happening now. It happened already. It was going to happen later. Not that it mattered. To Bonnie none of it mattered. All that mattered was Tyler. He was dying. And it was killing her._

"_Bunny…"_

"_Shh," Bonnie placed her cheek against his, savoring the feel of his shallow breaths against her ear. "I love you. I love you so much." Tyler tried to say something, but Bonnie covered his lips with hers. "Forgive me."_

_His brow creased in confusion even as his eyes remained full of the trust he had in her._

_Damon was close by. Bonnie couldn't see him, but she could feel him. Was aware, in a way similar to, but not entirely like, the way she was aware of Tyler. She had to do this now. It had to be done. And it had to be her._

_Pulling away from the kiss, Bonnie held his gaze with her own. Imagined his lungs, imagined fisting them tightly in her hands. She felt Tyler's body jerk, felt him trying to struggle. His eyes changed, the wolf was trying to get out, trying to survive. It was too late._

_She loved him. Loved him beyond reason. She was killing him._

Bonnie shot up in the bed. Her entire body was shaking, tears rolling unchecked down her cheeks, heart clenching painfully in her chest. It took a moment for the confusion brought on by sleep and fear to give way to clarity. But when it did, when she became aware of her surroundings, her head immediately turned until her vision was filled with Tyler. He lay naked and dreaming beside her.

More importantly, he lay breathing beside her.

On any other night this would be the point he'd wake up as well. Bonnie understood why he hadn't. He always slept deeply after the change.

She would have liked for him to be awake, to take her in his arms, and assure her everything would be okay. But it was enough that he was there, that she could see the way his back moved with each breath he took.

Body trembling in fear, Bonnie leaned down to press a kiss between his shoulder blades. His skin was hot, always hot, and it began to take the edge off the chill that ran bone deep.

Because she knew the dream would come back the moment she closed her eyes, Bonnie shifted until she practically lay across him. Head resting on his shoulder, arm thrown across his back, and her legs tangling with his.

Bonnie knew better then to try to convince herself it was just a dream. She'd been having some variation of it for quite some time now. Tonight was the worse. Tonight it had felt more real. But she refused to accept it as truth. How could it be? Dream or no, Bonnie knew she could never hurt him. Killing Tyler, meant losing Tyler. And not with an act by herself or anyone else would she ever allow that to happen.

Tyler was hers to protect. And hers to keep.


	15. Chapter 15

**I disclaim. I own nothing.**

**AN: Sorry for the lack of update last week, but I was down with the worse bug ever. This chapter is all Bonnie/Tyler, though Elena and Stefan make a brief appearance at the end.**

**Chapter 15**

Bonnie was use to being the first one, only one, awake in the morning. So it didn't bother her that it was more of the same at the Salvatore boarding house. Maybe it surprised her, she never would have guessed Stefan was such a late starter. And why she found that to be kind of cute, she didn't really know. The problem Bonnie had was that Tyler was a late sleeper as well and Elena wasn't much better. Which meant she was stuck in her bedroom until someone else woke up. Because Bonnie didn't want to accidentally run into Damon. Again.

Damon, surprisingly enough, was also an early riser. Something she discovered her first morning at the boarding house, when she stepped out of her bedroom and ran directly into Damon's naked chest. A chest she was willing to silently admit was nice until that arrogant smirk curled his lips. It was in that moment Bonnie decided never to wander around until she was sure someone else was up. And to never again admire anything about the elder Salvatore.

Things hadn't been so bad during the week. At least the mornings, as they were all up and getting ready to head out to school. Damon snuck up on her a few times, wouldn't say anything, like he was reminding her he was still there. The last few nights Elena had kept her company while she waited on Tyler. It was an opportunity Damon couldn't seem to pass up, always dropping himself between the two girls, and generally annoying the hell out of her. Though he refrained from pushing Bonnie as he had that first night; she didn't think for a minute he'd given up. But she was glad for the reprieve.

Now it was Saturday morning. Bonnie had a feeling Stefan wouldn't be down until noon. She knew Elena would sleep much later if you let her. And Tyler, with the full moon cycle ending Friday night, would be out for a while as well. Fortunately she'd watched Damon wander out about an hour ago. She didn't know, nor did she care about, where he was going. She was just glad to have the peace of mind to know she could walk out of her room and not get cornered by him.

Bonnie never understood how anyone could not find the joy of early morning. Of being witness to the start of a new day. Her iPod was docked, _Gabriel_ by Lamb filled the room. Despite her enjoyment of having the morning to herself, Bonnie wished Tyler would wake up. Wished she could find the words to explain to him the way she felt. So that he could tell her there was nothing wrong with the way she loved him.

The truth was Bonnie was disappointed in herself. She allowed Damon to get to her, when she swore she never would again. Yet she hadn't been living with the bastard twenty-four hours when she allowed him to place doubts in her mind regarding…well everything.

Allowed him to get in her mind and twist everything around. Maybe her feelings for Tyler tended to skew a little towards the possessive. But it wasn't what he made it out to be. Wanting to protect her boyfriend, not wanting to ever see him hurt, wasn't a bad thing. How could loving someone and wanting them with you be a bad thing?

This, Bonnie thought with a frustrated sigh, is what happens when you listen to relationship advice from a sociopath. All Damon knew, having spent a century and a half loving one woman, was what he learned from that bitch Katherine. Of course love was twisted for him. What she needed to do was talk to Stefan. He knew just as much about what they were as Damon. More, he seemed to have a healthy outlook on what love and relationships were suppose to be.

Yeah, talking to Stefan was her best bet. And until then she needed to keep Damon as far away from Tyler as possible.

Tyler realized there were worse ways to wake up. Naked, confused, and in the woods was one; a one time experience he never wanted to repeat. Grams had found him that morning, having anticipated his first change, bringing with her a pair of shorts, and an understanding smile. At the time Tyler had been too grateful to really be embarrassed. Actually, the first time he woke up in Bonnie's bed wrapped in nothing but a sheet had been a thousand times worse. The way she looked everywhere but at his face clued him in on just how much of him she'd seen. But it was something they both had to get over fairly quickly as…well clothes and wolves weren't exactly synonymous. And despite what that Mormon chick would have you to believe there was no reservoir of blue jean shorts for a quick change.

It had gotten easier, or at least Bonnie grew more comfortable. As now she had no problem snuggling right up to him. For Tyler things were harder, figuratively and literally. It wouldn't be so bad, in fact it would completely awesome, if he could slide over and into Bonnie each morning. But as it were, they hadn't reached that level in their relationship. So as far as that goes, things were going to remain hard for him.

"How long are you planning on laying there pretending to be asleep?"

Tyler smiled, though he kept his face buried in the pillow. "It's too early."

"It's nine o'clock."

"On a Saturday." Tyler clarified. "That's like four am on a Wednesday. Jesus hours." But he rolled onto his back, stared at the ceiling a moment, before finally sitting up. Making sure the sheet stayed around his waist with one hand, he used the other rub the sleep out of his eyes. And he was sure there was no better sight in the world then the picture his girl made standing in the sunlight wearing nothing but his jersey. "You've done your yoga, took your shower and everything?"

Angling her head to look at him over her shoulder, Bonnie gave a teasing smile. "It's practically the middle of the day."

"Crazy woman." Tyler mumbled as he climbed out of the bed. Still clutching the sheet to his waist he stopped by the dresser, having to pull out several drawers before finding his underwear.

Feeling sorry for him, but more taken with that adorably sleepy pout on his lips, Bonnie crossed the room until she was standing in front of him. "Hey," She placed her hand on his chest. "Morning."

Tyler gave a reluctant smile in return. "Morning, Bunny." He placed a quick kiss on the corner of her mouth before continuing on to the bathroom. Only stopping long enough to disconnect her ipod and connect his own.

Because the opportunity was presented to her, Bonnie admired the muscles in his back as he walked away. When he disappeared into the bathroom, she gave an appreciative sigh before grabbing Emily's grimoire and throwing herself across the bed. Tyler had been on a Young Money kick as of late, and though she enjoyed it, Bonnie figured if she heard _Bedrock, _or any other of their songs, one more time bad things would occur. But as he began to sing loudly, and badly, to Drake's _Find Your Love_, it was kind of hard to get upset.

Tyler, her Ty, was back. Sure there was going to be the general pissy spoiled behavior, a few angry outburst, but he wouldn't be so on edge. That terrible trembling tension that wreaked him so, would be gone. Watching his transition was not getting easier, watching Tyler suffer would never be easy. But they made it through another full moon cycle, and Grams said the only way they were going to get through was by taking it one cycle at a time.

So as her boyfriend continued to decompress in the most annoying way, Bonnie smile and turned her attention to the grimoire. In the last few days her attention had been swayed from her training. Between being abandoned by her father, moving, and being worried sick about her boyfriend the werewolf being caught; studying the grimoire' became the furthest thing from her mind.

Now, especially after what Damon told her, digging through the grimoire' and all the books on her family history seemed like something she _really_ needed to be doing. Nevermind the fact that she thought everything Damon said was utter crap. She didn't see the harm in looking through the family history, making sure there were no whacked out witches in there anywhere.

"So what have you got up for today?" Bonnie asked when the shower turned off.

"Spending some time with my baby." Tyler called back.

"That would be kind of sweet if you weren't referring to your car."

"Don't be jealous. You're my number one, my girl."

"You just make sure Christine out there knows that."

"Always." Tyler ran a hand through his hair, flinging water onto the mirror. "What about you?"

"I was going to see if Caroline wanted to hang out." Moving to sit against the headboard, Bonnie picked up his iPod hoping he had something a little…softer, as her mood seemed to dictate. The fact that their musical tastes varied, she hardly if ever went through his iPod. Which was why she was surprised to come across a playlist titled 'Bunny's songs' Going through it she came across a list of songs that had her lips curling.

Tyler wasn't a romantic. Tyler wasn't known for making grand gestures. What Tyler was, what never failed to make her smile, was sweet. Tyler did little things that were so commonplace for him when it came to her, that he didn't even realize what he was doing. And though he may have took them for granted, Bonnie never did.

"This list" Bonnie called as the first strands of Joshua Radin's _Only You_ began to play. "did you make it before or after we got together."

Tyler knew there was no point in pretending he didn't know what she was talking about. Still he was quiet a few moments before giving a muttered, "Both." In reply.

"Hey, Ty." Bonnie called again.

"Yeah."

"I love you."

Tyler stepped out of the bathroom then, freshly showered and shaved. Hair standing on end from the hand he ran through it. Wearing nothing but a pair of black boxer briefs and a shit eating grin. "What was that?"

Despite the smile that curled her lips, Bonnie rolled her eyes. "I said I love you."

"Do you?" Tyler asked. Climbing onto the bed, he lay on his stomach besides her. Throwing his arm across her waist, he turned his head so that he was looking up at her. "Do you really?"

Sliding down the bed, Bonnie settled on her side. "I really do."

"Good." Leaning over Tyler covered her mouth with his, drawing her closer to him. "Because I love you, too."

With a large grin, Bonnie threw her leg over his hips. Using her momentum to shift him onto his back so that she could straddle his waist. "Do you?" She teased as she leaned down to brush kisses along his jaw. "Do you really?"

Tyler wanted to answer her, would have answered her. But when her teeth caught his earlobe and bit down slightly words failed him.

There was something about Tyler's scent that Bonnie simply loved. The hint of wildness, of the woods that clung to his skin, and something that was purely Tyler that got her where it counted. That had her burying her nose in the crook of his neck and just…inhaling. "I love the way you smell." She pulled back just far enough to suck the skin covering his pulse into her mouth. "I love the way you taste."

He may have whimpered, he hoped he hadn't, but it was quite possible. The way her hands seemed to be everywhere at once. He could feel the muscles in her thighs quivering, the skin become more heated under his palms. Her lips, teeth, and tongue finding points of pleasure on his neck that he didn't even know existed.

This had to stop, he had to stop her. Because she wasn't ready, she'd told him she wasn't ready. He'd promised to wait, wasn't a difficult promise. Tyler thought he'd wait forever for Bonnie. But he was a teenage boy and she….

Oh God, Tyler clutched his eyes closed. She was placing opened mouth kisses along his shoulder and down his chest. And he… "Bonnie." He was stopping her. Fisting his hands in her hair and drawing her away. Figured he deserved a medal, sainthood. Because his girl was looking at him out of heavy lidded green eyes, her lips swollen, and smelling of everything good in the world. And he was stopping her.

He was going to stop her. But one corner of her lips curled up a bit, a knowing light flickered in her eyes, and stopping her in that moment seemed like the dumbest thing he could ever do. When she turned her head, he thought she meant to kiss his palm as she sometimes did. Instead she scraped her teeth over the pad of his thumb.

"Bonnie."

His voice didn't hold nearly as much conviction as he had before and Bonnie couldn't keep the triumphant light out of her eyes as she leaned forward to place an open-mouth kiss on his chest. Loved the feel of his heartbeat beneath her lips. Couldn't resist sucking the taste of his skin into her mouth.

The hands that were only moments ago pushing her away, were desperately trying to drag her closer. Tyler wasn't sure just how she managed to move away from him, but the loss caused him to give a pathetic whimper. Especially when her ass settled right over a very aroused, very sensitive part of his anatomy. It really was all Tyler could do to keep from grabbing her hips and just…rubbing against her until he embarrassed them both.

Pleased that his eyes were open and remained on hers, Bonnie crossed her arms over her stomach to gather the hem of the jersey in her hands.

Tyler felt the air back up in his lungs, couldn't even blink for fear he'd miss something. The truth was he didn't know where to look. His hands were actually shaking when they ran from her knees to her hip. Like always, her skin was rose petal soft. "Bunny."

At the sound of his voice, Bonnie's confidence faltered a bit. But she wanted this, wanted him. So keeping her eyes on his, she pulled the jersey over her head.

For a moment neither of them moved. Tyler had imagined this moment, dreamed of it for so long, he was afraid to move. Afraid to ruin it. Because nothing he imagined could have prepared him for the sight Bonnie made straddling his waist in nothing but a pair of light blue panties. Sitting up, Tyler ran the back of his fingers along her stomach before brushing his thumbs lightly over the tips of her breasts.

"You're so beautiful." Tyler spoke the words softly, reverently.

Bonnie wrapped her arm around his neck. Pressing her body to his, she brushed her lips against his once, twice, then bit none to gently into his bottom lip. The growl that rumbled in his chest reverberated through her own.

It was like something inside him snapped, caused his hands to fist tightly in her hair; tugging her head back so that he could take her mouth in a hungry kiss. Thought if he could, he'd pull her inside of him, keep her forever there. The little sounds she made danced along his nerves, making him desperate for more of her. All of her.

Bonnie wrapped herself as tightly as she could around him. Legs locked behind his back, arms tight around his neck, and her mouth fused to his. She couldn't recall a time when she'd ever felt this way. So needy, so empty. Thought she'd let him do whatever he wanted, give him whatever he asked, just to ease the terrible ache inside of her.

The heat between them was ridiculous. Her body temperature was so high, Bonnie was surprised fire didn't simply shoot from her fingers. She loved the way their bodies felt sliding against one another. Loved the feel of his one handed grip on her hip, the way he guided her frantic movements. But she wanted more. Wanted the feel of his hands gliding over her skin, his mouth on the sensitive peak of her breast. Wanted to know the feel of his body inside hers.

When air became an absolute must, Tyler reluctantly broke the kiss. His breathing was ragged and shallow as he trailed his lips along her jaw. Couldn't help but run his tongue along the sweat slick skin of her neck. Fought against the urge rip away the last two thin barriers between them. She was so close, could feel the slick heat of her through his briefs. The truth was, Tyler was surprised by his own restraint. He'd wanted this, wanted to have Bonnie this way, since he was fifteen years old. Nothing could have prepared him for how utterly amazing it felt to hold her close.

To please both himself and her, he wrapped one arm around her waist. Lifting her slightly he used the other to support her back, large hand cupping her neck, as his mouth lowered to the tempting swell of her breast. Tyler wanted to move slowly, to prove to Bonnie that he could be patient and gentle. But at the first touch of his lips, she shuddered and let out a moan that ripped straight through him. Unable to help himself, he gave her sensitive nipple a teasing flick before drawing it into his mouth.

As her pleasure continued to build, Bonnie felt a stifling pressure inside her. As if her magic was growing as well, but couldn't find an outlet at which to escape. She tried to speak, tried to tell Tyler she was afraid. That she wasn't as ready as she thought she was for the way he was making her feel. But words were lost to her, wasn't sure she could find the breath to speak. Her control was slipping. She was afraid if she let go, she'd end up hurting him. Her mind was too unfocused, too full of Tyler for her to try to properly direct the power flowing inside of her anywhere but at him.

She was shaking like a leaf. Tyler slowed his kisses, tried to make his touch gentle, to help calm her. Easing away slowly, reluctantly, he flipped her over onto her back. "Bunny." He whispered her name softly against her lips. "It's okay, Bunny. Just relax."

Bracing himself above her with one hand, he ran the other repeatedly from her knee to hip in an attempt to soothe.

"Ty…" The tears were just embarrassing. The thought that she couldn't be with him for fear of setting something on fire was embarrassing. It was bad enough for him to know just how inexperienced she was. But this was... "I can't control it."

"Shh," He pressed his cheek to hers the way she'd done for him so many times before. "You trust me?"

"Of course. It's me…"

Tyler pressed a kiss to her cheek, her brow, her lips. "I trust you, Bunny." His fingers brushed across her hip, before easing beneath her panties. "I trust you."

Bonnie's body arched like a bow. She hadn't been prepared, her mind had began to drift. So the first touch of his finger sent her flying. She'd never felt anything like it. The tension he built inside her simply erupted. Her hands fisted in the bed sheets as her hips began to thrust against his fingers, seeking more of the pleasure he gave her.

Tyler buried his face in her neck, teeth clamping down on the curve of her shoulder. This was a first for him. He'd never brought a girl off without expecting something in return. But hearing Bonnie cry out, watching the pleasure play over her face, and feeling her spasm around his fingers was nearly enough to set him off as well.

"Oh God." Sliding her fingers in his hair, Bonnie pulled at him until she could see his face. "Oh God, Ty. That was…I feel…" Like gold inside and out. Pleasure and power swam in her system like a drug. It was a wonder the magic inside her wasn't dancing along her skin like electricity.

"Oh my God, Bonnie-" Elena rushed into the room, concern for her best friend causing her to bypass knocking.

With a shriek of surprise Bonnie shoved roughly at Tyler, sending him tumbling to the floor. Because he'd taken the only sheet they kept on the bed into the bathroom with him earlier, Bonnie had to use a pillow to cover herself. When Stefan appeared in the doorway just behind his girlfriend, it was all Bonnie could do to keep from creating a hole to sink into.

For a moment Elena's mind couldn't comprehend what she was seeing. The fog of sleep and fear, preventing her from thinking properly. But being startled awake by a shaking house tended to do that. "Are you guys okay? There was like an earthquake or something."

"I don't think that was an earthquake." Stefan kept his face bland. Tried to focus on the comedy of the situation and not the smell of the witch's arousal in the air.

"Oh." Through narrowed eyes, Elena took in her best friend's appearance. "Oh." Then she connected the rumbling house to Bonnie's appearance and realization struck. "Oh. Bonnie, Tyler, I am so sorry. I didn't mean…I didn't know."

"Elena." Bonnie cut off the other girl's rambling apology. "It's okay. Really."

Even though Elena seriously doubted it was, she took the out. "Right." She began to back out of the room, shoving unnecessarily at Stefan. "Of course. Later."

Still clutching the pillow to her chest, Bonnie dropped back on the bed. "Ty?"

"Yeah."

His voice was strained, Bonnie very much doubted it was from his meeting with the floor. "You okay?"

"No."

"Wanna get back in the bed?"

"I don't think that's a good idea."

Bonnie smiled as she rolled to the edge to gaze down at him. Tyler was on his back, arm thrown over his eyes, the state of his body on full display. There was a rush of heat to her belly.

"Bunny." Tyler moaned as the scent of her arousal filled his nostrils.

"Sorry." Though she wasn't entirely sure what it was she was apologizing for. He just seemed to be suffering so badly and there was no doubt in her mind it was because of her. She rolled onto her back again. "Hey, Ty."

"Hmmm."

"Thank-you. That was…incredible."

Though strained around the edges, the smile that curled the corners of Tyler's lips was genuine. "Any time, Bunny."


	16. Chapter 16

**I disclaim. I own nothing.**

**Chapter 16**

As usual, Bonnie beat Tyler to the parking lot after the final bell. For the life of her she couldn't figure out what the hell it was that kept him so long. One day, when she wasn't feeling particularly kind, she was going to point out to him that it was an annoying trait he shared with Caroline and Elena. It didn't surprise her that Jeremy was already yards away from the front doors, but he didn't usually hang out in the parking lot. She noticed the girl he was talking to and was disappointed she was already walking away before Bonnie could reach them. It would have been fun to tease him a bit.

"Hey." It took a bit of a running jump, but Bonnie was able to latch on to his back.

To his credit Jeremy didn't jump, flinch maybe, but not jump. And there was an easy grin on his face when he glanced over his shoulder at Bonnie. "Are you aware that you way, like, nothing?"

Wrapping her arms around his neck, Bonnie rested her chin on the top of his head. "Regardless of how you meant that, I'm taking it as a compliment." Her eyes narrowed as she caught sight of the girl who'd been talking to Jeremy shortly before she arrived. She couldn't see her face, but something about her was very familiar. "Who's that?"

"Just a girl."

Even looking down on him as she was, Bonnie could see the blush darkening his cheeks. "Yeah? She cute?"

"I guess." Backing up, Jeremy lowered her to the trunk of Tyler's car. Lockwood was a beast about his car, but Jeremy was willing to bet he wouldn't say a word about Bonnie sitting on it. He was pretty sure Bonnie could tap dance on the hood and Tyler wouldn't bat an eyelash.

"That's a yes. And that means you like her. The more a guy likes a girl, the less attractive he makes her."

"That's…" But the argument died on his tongue at the bland look Bonnie sent him. "Maybe a little true."

"So," Taking pity on him, teasing Jeremy was always problematic as he could be just a bit sensitive, Bonnie changed the subject. "I haven't seen you in a while."

"Just figured I'd give you some time to settle in." Uncomfortable, and not entirely sure why, Jeremy directed his gaze to his feet. "I'm sorry about your dad. What he did…it was a dick move."

Because it was the most apt way to describe what her father did, Bonnie nodded. She didn't want to talk about it anymore, didn't want to think about it. But she knew Jeremy wouldn't press, talking about feelings wasn't exactly his thing. Just that he was, in his way, offering her support. "That it was."

And that, Jeremy knew, was all either of them really needed to say on the subject. "Are you guys heading to the Grill?"

Bonnie nodded. "Yup. It's pretty much the only place we can all hang out." At his confused look, she decided to explain further. "Caroline and Damon…" She couldn't tell him what really happened between them. Wouldn't do that when Elena went to such great lengths to protect her brother. "They have a history. I wouldn't ask her to come hang out there."

"Ended that bad?"

"Worse." Just over Jeremy's shoulder, she caught sight of Damon. "Damn it."

"Hi, Bonnie." Because he could care less about Tyler, Tyler's car, or Tyler's feelings regarding his car, Damon hopped up on the trunk besides Bonnie.

Using a hand on his shoulder, and a bit of magic, Bonnie shoved him back off the car. Tyler was going to flip when he came out and saw Damon; coming out and seeing Damon perched on his baby would have him going completely batshit. "What do you want, Damon?"

"Everything. But I'll take you. Laid out, completely naked, on my bed." He ran a finger lightly down her arm. "Forever."

Jeremy's face was the picture of distaste. "Aren't you her guardian?" It was bad enough the guy dated Caroline. But to take advantage of a girl in his care, that was kind of sick.

Damon narrowed his eyes at Elena's brother, dropping his gaze a moment to check if the vervain was still around his neck. Unfortunately it was. The kid, as far as he was concerned, was completely useless. And he would have enjoyed sending him away. Far away. "Your point?"

"Jeremy." Bonnie interrupted with a shake of her head when it looked like Jeremy was going to argue his point. "Don't."

"Yeah, Jer, don't. Actually, I'm going to need you to run along." Damon made a shooing motion with his hand. "I need to talk to Bonnie. Alone."

"Don't talk to him like that." All righteous indignation, which may have had a more to do with the fact that Damon just bugged the shit out of her, then any affront to Jeremy, Bonnie jumped off the trunk to shove at the vampire's chest. "He doesn't have to go anywhere."

If there was anything hotter then Bonnie in protective mode, Damon really didn't know what it was. Her eyes were a dark, mossy, green. Feet planted, shoulders set, and her fist balled at her side. For such a tiny thing, she was actually quite formidable. Katherine was like that. That slight almost fragile frame, that angelic face and coy smile; beneath all of that she was a force from hell.

Katherine would and could bring all of Mystic Falls down for no other reason then because she could. Bonnie loved the town. But if need be, for someone she loved, she could and would bring it down as well. They were both forces. But it was their nature that set them apart. Katherine was without love, without loyalty. Whereas Bonnie was love and loyalty in the flesh. Bonnie was everything he craved, everything Katherine promised but was unable to give.

"Hey," With a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, but was more for Bonnie's benefit then anything else, Jeremy pulled her attention to him. "It's cool. I was heading out anyway. I'll catch you later at the Grill." Walking away he shot Bonnie a grin over his shoulder, ignoring Damon completely.

"I don't think he likes me." Damon mused as he watched Jeremy disappear with the crowd of kids filling the parking lot.

"I don't know anyone who does. What do you want?" Bonnie repeated. "And why couldn't this wait until tonight?"

"Because I need to talk to you and Stefan in private; without Lassie and Elena. So, call the fleabag and tell him you'll meet up with him later."

"I'm not going anywhere with you." Bonnie scoffed. "And I'm sure as hell not telling Tyler I'm going anywhere with you." But there was something in his eyes, a seriousness that was always lacking before, that kept her from completely blowing him off. "Just tell me what's going on."

"I will." Damon promised. "Just not here. Come with me, I'll call Stefan and have him meet us."

"No." It would be bad enough telling Tyler she was going off somewhere with Damon, if word somehow got back to Caroline… "I need to talk to Stefan anyway," Somehow Bonnie knew she'd regret agreeing to this. Being around Damon...it was just a bad idea. But she couldn't shake the sincerity she felt coming from him. Couldn't shake the feeling that if she didn't go and talk to him now, it'd only make things worse later. "Just go back to the house and we'll be there."

Realizing that was as good as it was going to get with her, Damon nodded. And truthfully it was more then he expected.

"Damon," Bonnie called over her shoulder when he walked by her. "You better not be fucking with me."

Slowly, Damon moved until he was pressed against her back. Pressing his lips against her ear, his voice was feather soft when he whispered "Don't worry, little witch. When I fuck you, you'll know it."

It took a bit of convincing, as Tyler was pretty insistent on driving her back to the house. Elena wasn't much in the way of help either, wanting to know exactly what it was that was so important she and Stefan couldn't wait until later to get. It seemed to be more a matter of confusion then mistrust, which Bonnie hated because she was lying to them. But eventually they relented, agreeing to head to the Grill together and wait for Stefan and Bonnie to arrive.

"If it's any consolation," Stefan began as he guided his car out of the school parking lot. "What ever it is Damon wants to talk about, I think it's pretty important."

"I kind of picked that up from him. It's just…whenever I'm around Damon I slip to this dark place." Bonnie admitted, not seeing the point of delaying the conversation she wanted to have. "I become filled with this rage, I hate it. But at the same time...I feel powerful, limitless. Each time I stay a little bit longer."

Stefan nodded. One glance at Bonnie and he could tell there was something on her mind. Something she wasn't sure how to talk to him about. Giving her time, he eased up on the gas. "I think I know the feeling." Not the rage or the hate. But the power, the feeling that he could conquer anything. It was the feeling he had when he drank human blood.

"Have you known many witches?"

"A few." But none of them had her pedigree, her potential.

"You love Elena."

It was more a statement of fact then a question, but Stefan nodded anyway. "I do."

"I love Tyler. It's so much sometimes I can't think passed it. I'll do anything for him. Anything he asks, anything I need to keep him. When I think about losing him…"

"You think about the things you'd do to make sure that never happens." Stefan supplied when she trailed off. When she turned wide, questioning eyes towards him, he made a restless movement with his shoulders. "It's like you said. I love her."

So he did know. Which meant Damon wasn't completely full of shit. "How do you control it? Sometimes it's all I can do to keep from grabbing him and…biting him, marking him. Damon…" And God, she couldn't believe she was actually quoting Damon. "He says it's natural. That doing the things I want to do to Tyler, is a part of what I am, and I should just give in."

That didn't seem right. Stefan couldn't imagine what Damon hoped to gain from Bonnie laying claim to Tyler. The boy was a wolf, being claimed by a mate, especially the way Bonnie wanted to do it, wouldn't exactly turn him off. Damon would know that, so what was his game.

"I don't think our situations are entirely the same. Elena's not like us. She doesn't feel things the same way we do. Tyler would understand."

"But how can I get him to understand something, to accept feelings that scare _me._"

"By trusting him. Trust that he loves you, just as much as you love him."

"Stefan," Bonnie began softly. "If I tell you something can you swear never to repeat it."

Not good, not good, just really not good. It's not that he couldn't keep a secret. But keeping a secret from Elena, especially a secret regarding Bonnie, it just begged for trouble. But it was obvious the young witch was really twisted up. And it spoke volumes that she was willing to confess to him. "I swear."

"I can feel Tyler. When he's happy, when he's upset, I know. It's the same with Elena. I don't even have to try." The laugh that escaped her was sad and bitter. "Sometimes I feel like as a friend…I'm a cheat. It's easy to be there for them, to be a good friend, when I know what it is they're feeling. What it is they need. I know even when they don't fully understand it themselves.

"Bonnie," Stefan pulled to the side of the road so that he could turn and look to the young woman next to him. Suddenly, things were becoming clearer. So often he'd seen Bonnie perform magic without being weakened. She'd set Damon's car of fire without blinking an eye. Moved things telepathically without breaking a sweat. Elena had touched on it without even realizing, but he had brushed it off. Chalking Bonnie's power up to heightened emotions. Not seeing what was right in front of him. "Are you an Empath?"

"You can't tell anyone, Stefan."

Stefan nodded. Of course he couldn't. An empathic witch…her powers would be beyond the imaginable. If that knowledge got out, if the wrong people knew what she was, they'd stop at nothing to have her. To have that power for themselves. "There's something else?"

"The first thing Grams taught me was blocking. To use my emotions as an anchor, so that I don't get lost in everyone else's. With Tyler, Elena, and even Caroline, I couldn't block them. Grams figured I must have linked with them in someway when we were kids." She couldn't even pinpoint the moment it happened. It seemed to go back as far as she could remember. She never would have considered it a burden. Even when her Grams encouraged her to break the connections, she couldn't. Now, she wished she'd listened when her Grams tried to teach her. "It's the same with Damon. I can feel him. I can't block him."

"Why can't you block, Damon?" Stefan asked slowly.

"I don't know." Bonnie snapped out. Frustrated with herself and the situation. "It's not as deep, not to the same extent as Elena and Tyler. Just surface feelings, but it's enough for me to feed off."

The surface feelings, Stefan knew, were the feelings Damon allowed himself to feel. There was no doubt Bonnie could go deeper, could tap the feelings Damon had locked down deep.

"And I think, he's the reason I feel so…territorial with Tyler. Because I know Damon's a threat to Tyler, that he could and would hurt him, and that pushes me." Her eyes were full of hope when she turned to look at Stefan. "Don't you think that could be it?"

Stefan really wanted to give her the answer she so obviously wanted. It would probably make things so much simpler for her if that were the case. And looking at her now, so young so desperate for things to be easy, he wanted to give her something she could hold on to. But in this, he just couldn't lie to her. "A part of it, maybe. Another part of it is Tyler himself. He's a wolf, Bonnie. He's territorial by nature. I think you could be feeding off of him. And…"

"The rest is me, isn't it." He didn't have to say it. For the first time since she met him, Stefan's thoughts were written clearly across his face. "For all my talk…I'm really no better then Damon. Because I understand the way he felt and everything he did to get back to Katherine. And I don't…"

When she broke off in tears, Stefan pulled her into his arms. Saying nothing as she cried. It was a feeling he understood all to well. Because he loved Elena, knew he'd do anything for her, and thought to lose her would be to lose himself. Just as Damon had with Katherine.

"What the hell took you two so long?" Damon's eyes narrowed as he took in Bonnie's appearance. Her eyes were a little puffy, her nose red, and she reeked of Stefan. "What did you do to her? Why was she crying?"

"I stubbed my toe. It hurt. Stefan helped me into the car."

That, Damon thought, was a massive lie. But he couldn't help being impressed with how easily it fell from Bonnie's lips. His brother's face remained impassive. Obviously they weren't willing to say anymore on the subject. And really he had too much to talk about to try to get it out of them. "Whatever. Just know that precious time was being wasted, so I hope it was worth it."

"Because this," Bonnie gestured between them, indicating the conversation they were currently having. "Is as informative as it is important."

"Okay," Stefan stepped between them. "Can we not do this, now."

"Fine." With an indignant roll of her eyes, Bonnie dropped onto the couch.

"I got a visit from an old friend." His eyes went to the witch. "Anna."

For a moment Bonnie was drawing a blank. Then realization struck. "Anna? Anna, that kidnapped me." Her eyes narrowed, recalling the girl who held her captive in a motel room. Almost instantly she flashed back to the girl who'd been talking to Jeremy earlier. "Oh, God, she was with Jeremy. Right there with Jeremy and I just let her go."

"She's not back to cause trouble," Damon said by way of calming her down. "She actually came back to warn us. There's a war brewing. Apparently, Katherine crossed Klaus."

"Klaus is Katherine's…sire, her maker." Stefan supplied at Bonnie's blank look.

"It would seem that Katherine is making some decisions that aren't exactly…best for vampires. Klaus ordered her to back down, she refused. He hit at her, she hit back, and so on and so forth."

Bonnie continued to look blank. "Okay."

"Klaus and Katherine are both building an army. But unfortunately for Katherine, Klaus knows where there are a group of pissed off vamps just waiting to take a shot at her."

The light dawned. "The tomb vampires."

Damon nodded. "Katherine wants them dead. Klaus wants them out. And either way they need a witch, preferably a Bennett witch, to get it done."

"No." The words were out of her mouth before Bonnie was even sure what it was she was denying. "I've been through this before. Elena was kidnapped. My Grams died." Standing she began to pace the room; the panic and fear pouring off of her in waves. "I won't do this again. I can't."

Damon was on her in an instant, cold hands framing her face. It was clear just how upset she was that she didn't flinch away from him. Just stared at him with wide frightened eyes. "They won't touch you. I won't let them touch you."

She'd been too upset, too distracted to properly block him. Didn't help that Damon was surprisingly open, but his feelings came through. The anger, the hate that she always identified with him was still there, both lined with more then a hint of violence. He wanted to hurt something, wanted to use his hands to cause as much pain as necessary. But it was the warmth, the protectiveness he was feeling that had her pulling back.

Because she'd been so pliable before, Damon wasn't prepared for her attack. Back hitting the wall before he was even aware of what was going on.

"This is your fault." Bonnie bit the words out. She started to advance on him, but was pulled up short by Stefan. "You lead them here, to me."

"Do you know how ridiculous you sound?" Damon tossed back. "Do you really think Katherine was unaware of you. That she wasn't keeping a close eye on Emily's line. Odds are she knows more about you, about your powers, then you do."

Because she was so small, Stefan had no problem tucking Bonnie into his side. The move was more an attempt to keep her restrained then to offer comfort. "Do you really think scaring her is the best thing to do? Or throwing around blame? We need a plan."

"I have a plan." Faster then Stefan or Bonnie could see him move, Damon was across the room and pulling the witch into his arms. "I'm taking Bonnie away from here. Klaus and Katherine can't use her if they can't find her."

Bonnie was ashamed to admit that for a moment she agreed whole heartedly with that plan. She couldn't go back down in that church. Couldn't stand in that place, recite those words. It hurt too much just to remember, just to think about. It would be like losing her Grams all over again. She wasn't strong enough to go through it again.

Then she remembered the family she still had in Mystic Falls. Remembered how it was vampires got their way. They threatened. They caused pain and destruction until they got what they wanted. If she left, Klaus or Katherine or whoever else would just go after Tyler, Elena, or Caroline. They'd go through everyone in town until Bonnie stopped running.

"No, I can't do that." She tried to push out of Damon's arms, but his hold was too tight. And she was too tired, too weary to use magic. "I run and the people I love are at risk."

"They're at risk if you stay."

"At least if I stay I can protect them."

Damon could only stare at her in disbelief. Whereas before he always found Bonnie's loyalty to be sexy, at the moment it was a complete pain in the ass. "You don't get it. Klaus and Katherine get their hands on you, they're not just going to walk away once that tomb is open." They'd keep her. They'd see her potential and force her to stay with them. He wouldn't, couldn't, allow that to happen.

"And I'm not going to be some pawn in a vamp war. If not Klaus and Katherine, if not now, it'll be some other vampire, some other time." Bonnie turned to Stefan. "I'll always be running. The people I love will always be at risk."

Stefan understood, really he did, what it was she was saying. But he also knew the bleekness of the situation. "You can't fight them Bonnie. They're too old, too strong."

"Then what?" Bonnie demanded of the both of them. "I can't fight. I won't run. So, what do we do? What?"

Unfortunately, neither brother had an answer.


	17. Chapter 17

**I disclaim. I own nothing.**

**Chapter 17**

"No."

"I wasn't asking for your permission."

Damon's eyes were a hard, cold blue when they narrowed on the little witch. In contrast the heat in her eyes turning them a bright beautiful green. "I said no." His words were spaced out and evenly spoken, a sure sign of just how truly angry he was. The girl had to be the most obstinate, bull brained person on the planet. And he had to be out of his damn mind to find that attractive.

"And you can say it until you're blue in the face." Bonnie started to march across the room but Stefan, as he had been doing since they arrived, stepped between her and his ass of a brother. "I'm telling her."

"Bonnie," Stefan began before Damon could argue any further. He didn't understand why his brother couldn't see that the more he argued against something the tighter Bonnie held to her conviction. "I have to agree with Damon. Caroline-"

"Is my best friend. And I can't protect her, without first helping her to protect herself." Because it was Stefan. Because she knew he was always trying to do what was right. Bonnie softened her tone. "I could tell her not to invite people into her house and she'd do it for no other reason then because I asked. I can make her a protection charm and she'd keep it and wear it because I asked. But it won't make her aware, put her on alert. I have to tell her."

When he saw his brother weaken, Damon rolled his eyes. "No, you don't. Are you forgetting who Caroline's mother is?"

"Your bestest friend last I checked." Bonnie's voice was all sarasm and manufactured sweetness.

"Cute." Damon smirk, but made sure not to allow his appreciation of her smartass remark reflect in his eyes. "But you tell Caroline, she tells her mother, and we all burn at the stake. Even your precious Fido."

"Caroline wouldn't do that. She'd never do anything to hurt me."

When Damon looked to him with what could only be described as total disbelief, Stefan calmly stepped in. "Bonnie," Placing one hand on her shoulder, he drew the witch's attention to him. "People often do things out of fear that they normally would never do."

"Not Caroline." Bonnie stated unequivocally.

"Okay, let's stop with this ridiculous, BFF, bullshit for just a moment. Caroline hates me. From what I've seen, she's not too fond of your dog either. So, she may not flip on you. But the rest of us are fair game."

Bonnie thought this was probably the wrong time to point out that his safety wasn't really her problem. Not to mention, that in this moment, wasn't the entire truth. And didn't want to give him the ammunition of seeing the lie in her eyes. "If you hadn't spent that last hundred plus years being a professional asshole, you may have made a friend. And grasped the inner workings of friendship. There is more danger in us keeping the truth from her."

Damon rolled his eyes. "You trust her that much?"

"I trust her with my life."

"Caroline." Disbelief was laced in every syllable.

"Yes." There was steel lined in Bonnie's voice that proved to both brothers that she would not be moved on this point. "Caroline."

"I think that's a bad idea."

"Probably the smartest thing the boy has ever said."

"Damon," Stefan's voice was a silent warning that he knew his brother was going to ignore.

The three of them had been going around and around on the issue. Or better, Damon and Bonnie had been arguing and he had been doing his best to keep the peace. They all lost track of time, Damon didn't seem to care. But Bonnie and Stefan became aware of just how long they'd been going at it when Elena and Tyler arrived. Stefan had been the one to notice them come in and was more then happy to relinquish his hold on Bonnie to Tyler. Though it didn't seem necessary, the witch began to calm down considerably. Something Stefan attributed to Elena's presence more then Tyler's. As the Were took one look at his girlfriend's tear stained face and started to actually tremor in anger.

As Bonnie had moved to soothe him, Stefan began explaining to the two newcomers what Damon had told them earlier. And the nature of the argument that was currently taking place. It seemed as all the color drained from both teens' faces. Elena pressed herself into Stefan's side, as Tyler dropped wordlessly on the couch. The fear radiating off of both of them, caused Bonnie to resume her nervous pacing. Matters weren't helped by Damon's constant interruption and input that only succeeded in making matters worse.

"Ty," Bonnie moved until she was kneeling in front of her boyfriend. "I need you to trust me."

Leaning forward on the couch, Tyler framed Bonnie's face in his hands. "I do." More then anything in the world. But she was who he treasured above all others. And because of that he couldn't risk her. Couldn't allow her to risk herself. The last thing he needed, on top of worrying about two ancient vampires out to get her, was the council Grams warned them about going after her as well.

"Then trust I know what I'm doing." Bonnie wished she could talk to him alone about this. Wished she could have explained before Damon started running off at the mouth and scaring him. "She already knows I'm a witch, the fact that I haven't been burned at the stake should prove that my faith in her isn't misplaced."

"For what it's worth," Elena began hesitantly. Up until now she remained quiet. It seemed, at least to her, this was a decision best reached without her input. She believed, with every fiber of her being that she would love Stefan for the rest of her life. Bonnie was her best friend, Elena didn't know life without her in it. To lose either of them, she was sure, would break her. But the fact remained, they were different from her. And that difference caused them to live with a fear she'd never really fully understand. She couldn't tell them what to do. But she knew Bonnie, knew her friend had already made up her mind. She also knew Caroline, the only person other then Bonnie, to know truly know her. "If we tell Caroline not to invite anyone into her house. Or Bonnie makes her a protection charm and tells her to never take it off. She'll do it. Because she trusts us. I think we owe it to her, to trust her as well."

"Fine." Damon rolled his eyes, somehow encompassing the entire room in the gesture. "Tell her. Get her over here."

"Oh, no." Bonnie shook her head. "I'm not inviting her here. And when we do tell her, you're not to be anywhere within the vicinity."

Stefan wanted to be annoyed that another argument was starting up between his brother and Bonnie. As it didn't seem to matter what one said, the other automatically disagreed. But this time, he thought he had an idea where the witch was going with the argument and couldn't help but to agree with her.

Damon narrowed his eyes. He really wished Bonnie would move from between the little fuckers legs. Really wished they'd stop _touching_ each other; her hands running along his thighs, his hands in her hair, on her shoulders, her face. Wished Bonnie would look at him again, like she had when he promised to protect her. "What are you talking about?" Did she really think he was going to let her out of his sight?

"You _hurt _her."

It didn't surprise Damon that she flung the words at him like a physical thing. Didn't surprise him that she would bring that up. Or that she would be pissed, since she counted Caroline as one of her best friends. What did surprise him, what he was in no way expecting, was for the words to make him feel...well _feel_.

"You bit her and used her. When you were done you tossed her aside like she meant nothing." Bonnie started to get up, had every intention of crossing the room, but Tyler simply grabbed her and pulled her onto his lap. "Caroline may not remember exactly what you did. But I will never forget it. So I won't have you around her. Because the only thing worse then what you did, is the fact that you're not even sorry for it."

Stefan watched his brother closely. The confusion on Damon's face was clear, as if he didn't fully understand what he'd done or what was so bad about it. He knew Damon viewed everything he'd done since returning to Mystic Fall as a means to an end. Knew that because his brother chose to block his emotions he no longer thought in wrongs or right. And figured Bonnie's words, the obvious disgust in her eyes, was wasted.

But as he watched, he saw an emotion cross his brother's face that he hadn't seen since they were turned: Shame. Stefan didn't know if Damon finally realized the full extent of his action against Caroline or if it was Bonnie's disgust, but he was clearly affected. The way he averted his gaze, as if he couldn't bare to meet Bonnie's eyes, spoke volumes.

Looking towards Elena, he recognized the thoughtful tilt of her head. Feeling his gaze on her, she turned worried eyes on him. They shared a look that clearly read: Well, shit.

She ran him out of his own house. Over the last few months, Damon had spent a lot of his time watching Bonnie. Dedicated hours of his day studying her every move. And with every passing moment he was reassured of his belief that Bonnie Bennett had the potential to be a very dangerous witch. What had never occurred to him, what never even passed as a fleeting thought was the danger she would present to him.

She'd said hateful things to him before. Threatened him almost every time they met. And more then once used her magic on him. But with one look, with a few words she…broke him. Made him almost…infantile, was the best he could think to compare it to. As he was sure this was how a baby felt when it cried from a discomfort it didn't understand.

It was the way she looked at him. If it was just the disgust, he could have handled that because it was what he'd come to expect from her. But it was the fear, completely unlike the fear she displayed when first learning of Katherine and Klaus' plans for her. Different still from the fear she had when Emily was haunting her. This time, this time she looked at him in a way Damon couldn't fully understand. It was the way Caroline had looked the morning she woke up and realized what he was. Before he compelled her to forget. The way he caught Elena looking at him in the beginning. It shrank them, made them vulnerable, and he didn't get it.

He was a vampire. A demon. Bonnie and Elena knew that, seemed to have reconciled with that. So he didn't understand that look. Didn't understand how they could react to behavior that was in his nature. He wanted to understand, he needed to know. How else could he get control of a situation that he didn't fully grasp?

That's when she blasted through. The moment he thought to maybe allow himself to feel something other then what he felt the last century and a half, the little witch tore down the wall that kept all those pesky feelings away.

That's when he knew. Still didn't understand, couldn't really. Because it was a woman's fear in their eyes. A fear that made him worse then a demon. And he had to get away, he had to get out.

When before he hadn't seen his behavior towards Caroline as anything more then necessity, now he saw it as they did. For the first time seeing himself as Bonnie did.

As a man, a human man, Damon had loved two women. One was the pure, all encompassing, honest love a child held for a mother. The other was a lie. So he didn't fully understand what it was Bonnie was making him feel. The only thing he knew for sure was that he never wanted Bonnie to look at as she had before he left.

That was why, and how, he found himself walking resolutely to the door of the last place he thought he should be at the moment. He barely raised his hand to knock, when it swung open. Took it as a testament to just how thoroughly Bonnie had mind-fucked him that he didn't even hear movement on the other side of the door.

"What do you want?"

The smirk tugged at the corner of his lips, the flippant response was at the tip of his tongue, but Caroline's cell was in her hand. The way she held it, gave him a clear look at the background photo of her, Elena, and Bonnie. "I wanted to talk to you." One last look at the picture, he made himself look into Caroline's eyes. "Actually..." The words seemed to stick his throat. Mouth moved as if unsure of how to even form them. "I want to apologize to you."


	18. Chapter 18

**I disclaim. I own nothing.**

**Chapter 18**

"So," Caroline began as she lay with her head propped up against the arm on the couch, her feet crossed at the ankles over the back. _A River Runs Through It_ was playing, but muted, on the TV. It was her mother's favorite movie and a staple at any sleepover she had with Bonnie and Elena. None of them had any idea what it was about, but the three friends agreed it was Brad Pitt at his most aesthetically pleasing.

Caroline couldn't remember the last time the three of them had a sleepover, couldn't remember ever being so excited about a girls night. But it had been a very interesting couple of days. From what she understood danger was dogging her best friends heels. They needed this night. They deserved it. "Is he more Jacob, Oz, or Professor Lupin."

"Oh my God, I can't believe you are still on this." Bonnie, in a similar position as her friend in the arm chair adjacent to the couch, couldn't help but to roll her eyes. The act a clear indication that she was not going to answer that.

"Okay, you had years to get over the novelty." Though Caroline didn't see how anybody could get over the fact that their boyfriend was a werewolf. But if anybody could, it would have to be the witched that had fallen in love with him. "I've had like three days. It's going to be a while before I get over it. Like, our kids wedding."

"Caroline, you know I love you." Elena was on the floor in front of Bonnie's chair.

Because most sentences that began that way ended with an insult of some kind, Caroline braced herself for whatever Elena was going to say.

"But I'm kind of freaked out by how _not_ freaked out you are with all of this."

To give herself time before answering, Caroline examined her freshly manicured nails. The truth was, she'd been completely floored by Damon first awkwardly, then flippantly making his way through a seemingly sincere apology. By the time she got over the shock and caught up to what he was saying, she realized he was telling her everything he'd done to her. No, not just telling her what he'd done. Apologizing for it.

It'd been information she wasn't quite sure what to do with. She'd been shocked, frightened, but more she'd been pissed. Angry enough to rant, to push and hit at him until he had enough and shoved her back into her chair. He snarled at her to shut up. Giving her permission to be angry all she wanted, but _after_ they were certain of Bonnie's safety. More then his snarl, more then him getting physical, it was that statement that had the words backing up in her throat.

That's when he told her…everything. Telling her that he was a _vampire_. When the disbelief she felt reflected on her face, he appeared in front of her with a knife. Slicing open his arm from elbow to wrist, saying nothing as it closed up before her eyes. In retrospect she realized it was a lot less disturbing then him flashing his fangs, but she would have liked a bit of a heads up.

As she sat in stunned silence, he explained that there were others like him. That they would be arriving in Mystic Falls. And that they would be going after Bonnie. Even as the thought occurred to her, he warned her not to utter a word to her mother. That if his nature became known the town would go into a panic, searching out others who were different. Others like Bonnie. They wouldn't be tried. Just burned.

Then to put a cap on what turned out to be the strangest night of her life, he asked-not demanded, but asked-that she not tell anyone that he came. To say nothing when Bonnie and Elena arrived to tell her everything he already had. Damon, not wanting credit for something. That realization was almost as much of a shock as everything else he'd said that night.

Fortunately, Bonnie and Elena didn't come until the next day. Which gave Caroline an entire-albeit restless-night to think over everything Damon told her.

She hadn't known what to do, hadn't known what she was _suppose_ to do. All she knew was that everything he told her shouldn't have been true. That she didn't _want_ it to be true. Thought she'd give just about anything in the world to go back to that moment before she opened the door. To go back to a time before she knew the truth of what really went bump in the night.

The next morning Elena and Bonnie arrived seconds after her mother left, something she figured wasn't exactly a coincidence. Caroline had sat, in uncharacteristic silence, as they told her everything she already knew. Adding things she hadn't considered (Stefan being a vampire as well), which maybe she should have. And things she wouldn't ever imagine (Tyler being a werewolf), which she still couldn't believe.

When they finished, more when they ran out of things to say, they became quiet as well. And it was then that Caroline looked, really looked, at them. They were afraid, so obviously afraid, of so many different things. She could actually see the torment they were going through. They wanted to protect her, she believed that. But they were trusting her with an incredible secret. And by doing that, they were trusting her with their loves. And it was a trust, Caroline promised she wouldn't break.

"Well," Caroline began, resolutely drawing herself back to the present. "I already knew about Bonnie. If she could be what she is, why couldn't everything else be true as well." She watched as they accepted what she said. "Besides, we always thought something was strange about those town meetings." She gave an impish grin. "Now we know what."

Elena angled her head to look up at her friend. "I'm surprised they didn't ask you to join."

"The only people who know what I am are the Lockwoods." Bonnie admitted, realizing she was going to have to explain things more clearly to her friends. "Grams was very strict about me sharing my...well, telling people what I am."

"Okay," Caroline shifted onto her side. "That's what I don't get. Your Grams never really made it a secret what she believe-" No, she mentally corrected herself, not believed. But what was. Grams, like Bonnie, had been a witch. "That she was a witch. So how did she get on the council-"

"Bit of quid pro quo. Mr. Lockwood didn't want anyone knowing what he was, Grams didn't want anyone knowing what I was. The mayor got the other members to allow Grams in by convincing them it would look better to the community. Kind of like a 'see we're not up to no good, we got the crazy Bennett woman with us'." Bonnie rolled her eyes at the thought of her boyfriend's father. "Mrs. Lockwood, just wanted to make sure nothing happened to Tyler."

Because she could see the fear creeping back into the witch's eyes, Caroline moved quickly to change the subject. "Well, that explains that." The smile she used while leading the squad lighting up her face. "But you still haven't answered my original question. Which one is he?"

Bonnie heaved an exasperated sigh. "Why don't you bug Elena about her boyfriend and what pop culture hottie he closely resembles?

"Angel." Caroline answered with a dismissive wave of her hand. "It's barely even a question."

Bonnie and Elena both opened their mouth to respond, considered what she said, and decided against it. Because how could they really argue with that.

Realizing she was stuck, Bonnie considered her three options. "Based strictly on personalit...I'd actually put him closer to Eric."

Elena's brow creased thoughtfully. "Book Eric or TV Eric."

"They're not so dissimilar that the distinction has to be made."

"So, you're not even going to consider Alcide?"

Bonnie shook her head. "_Way_ too mild mannered for my guy."

Caroline frowned as a point of contention between herself and her two friends came up. "Don't do that. You guys know I hate when you do that."

"If you just read-"

"I'm not reading the books." Caroline cut Elena off before she could complete the sentence. This was an ongoing argument between them and Caroline refused to budge. At this point it was the principle of the matter. "If you two would have just got the books I told you."

"A book about a vampire, a girl, and a werewolf." Elena tossed back. "That's the description you gave us. That's the description we gave the lady at the bookstore. And she gave us _Club Dead_."

"I think I know why you suck at charades." Bonnie gave a smile meant to bring the argument between her two friends down a level. Years of friendship taught her that a small, silly, argument between Elena and Caroline could turn into so much more. "Basic oral descriptions aren't exactly your strong suit. Remember when you told us about that 'awesome show about superpowers' with 'this really hot guy'."

"Bonnie and I started watching _Heroes_." Elena added.

"And you were talking about _Kyle XY._"

"Maybe it's not me. Maybe the problem is that you two are horrible friends."

Bonnie and Elena angled their heads so that they shared a look, seeming to take time to think through Caroline's statement.

"No. That's not it."

"It's you. All you, Blondie."

It was them. There was no doubt in Caroline's mind that Elena and Bonnie could communicate with less then she'd given them. If she were honest, she'd go so far as to say they could communicate without words. It was a connection she didn't share with them. A connection she tried very hard not to resent.

"What I want to know is how Bonnie's planning on making it through the night without her snuggle buddy?" Elena smiled up at Bonnie, before turning to explain to Caroline. "She can't sleep without him."

"Aww."

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "I can sleep without him. I just," She made a restless movement with her shoulders. "Prefer not to." Which was more truth then lie. She _could_ sleep without him. It wouldn't be a very peaceful nights sleep. Aside from the nightmares she knew would plague her dreams, without Tyler she wouldn't be able to get comfortable. She'd miss him; his heat, his scent, the feel of his skin against hers. "But I can go without for a night, to hang with my girls. Even if I'll be in the guest room. Alone."

"I have no idea how you and Tyler share a room," Elena admitted. Ever since Bonnie moved into the boarding house, she'd spent several late nights in her friend's room. Especially during the full moon. Alone Bonnie was like a furnace, with Tyler they gave off enough heat to warm a small village. It was something she enjoyed in the morning as Stefan usually spent the night absorbing all her body heat. Thirty seconds in Bonnie's room warmed her right up. But there was no way she'd be able to sleep in there. "It just seems like it would get uncomfortable after awhile."

"Wait," Caroline's face was the picture of confusion. "What am I missing?"

Bonnie shifted to lay on her side. "I have a natural affinity for fire. If I want to manipulate any other element, I'd have to be near it. But fire is mine. And because of that my body temperature runs higher then average. Tyler's a Were. Weres run higher, too. So we kind of give off a lot of heat when we're together."

"Can he change anytime he wants?" Caroline asked. No one really gave her any details. It was actually all pretty straight forward: We're vampires. I'm a witch. He's a werewolf. There's a vamp war marching our way. But she hadn't been given much else. She knew Bonnie was a born witch, that her family line went all the way back to Salem. As far as the boys were concerned, she had little to no information.

She was curious as to how it all worked. If it all matched up to what she read or saw in movies. "Or is it just during the full moon?"

"He can change whenever he wants. He's like a shifter in that way, but he can only change into a wolf."

"Does he change into an actual wolf?"

Bonnie nodded, but it was Elena who answered.

"This beautiful, black wolf." Elena's voice was full of awe. She wouldn't deny that she'd been scared immobile the first time she'd seen him. She'd never seen a wolf before, wasn't prepared for the sheer size of him. But even in her fear she recognized the beauty in the animal.

Caroline tried to imagine it. Wondered if she could come face to face with the wolf and see the boy she grew up with. "Does he like…drink blood."

With a smile Bonnie let her head fall into the crook of her arm. "No, that's Elena's boo."

Now having a whole new line of thought to follow, Caroline turned wide eyes on Elena. "Okay, how does _that_ work? Are him and Damon really brothers or is 'brothers' another way of saying they have the same sire? Did one get turned and then turned the other so they could be together? Were they ever lovers?"

There was an effort, a valiant effort on Bonnie's part not to laugh at the horrified look on Elena's face. But when her friend turned to her, looking at her-for the first time in their many years of friendship- with active dislike, the witch could no longer hold it together. With one hand over her mouth, Bonnie giggled uncontrollably while Caroline continued to rattle off questions.

Bonnie wondered if he was trying to be inconspicuous or trying to piss her off. Either way, the crow outside her window was an unwanted distraction. She'd had fun with Caroline and Elena, realized how much she missed being nothing more then a teenage girl spending time with her friends. But as the night wore on and she dragged herself into the spare room she found herself-as she knew she would-missing Tyler.

She wanted to ignore Damon. She also wanted to roll over, find herself in Tyler's arms, and go to sleep. But since that was as likely to happen as Damon simply going away, she resigned herself to dealing with him. If she couldn't sleep she might as well entertain herself.

Rolling onto her back with a sigh, she gave an impatient flick of her wrist that had the window shooting open. When she turned her head, she wasn't surprised to find the crow replaced with the smirking vampire.

"Hi, Bonnie."

Because he enjoyed her bouts of temper, waved off her threats, and refused to allow her to ignore him, Bonnie chose to go against her instinct. "Hi, Damon." And had the pleasure of seeing the surprise ripple briefly across his face.

"I'm disappointed in you, Bonnie." Damon relaxed against the window. Wanting to appear as if her casual greeting didn't throw him off his stride.

"Well, there goes any chance of ever finding peace with myself."

A smile curled the corners of Damon's lips. If Bonnie Bennett wasn't fun, he really didn't know what was. "You should be disappointed as well. Not to mention a little ashamed, tossing and turning in bed because you're cuddle mutt isn't here to drool on you. Coming off kind of desperate."

"And you'd know from desperate, he of the hundred year pine." But Bonnie was tired. Worse she was tired but unable to find sleep. So she really wasn't in the mood for a round of 'who can out bitch who' with Damon. Figured he'd have caught that when she was uncharacteristically pleasant.

"It was a little more then a hundred years." Damon mumbled as if he were offended she couldn't get the number right.

Despite herself, Bonnie couldn't help the smile that threatened to touch her lips. "Excuse me." Her eyes remained on his face. And she noted, with more then a hint of satisfaction, that he shifted a bit under her direct gaze. "What did you say to Caroline?"

For his part, Damon gave no reaction. Though he was more then a little disappointed. The ditzy girl couldn't keep her mouth shut for a damn minute. "When?"

"I don't know when." But she was sure he's said something. Caroline was…different. More open, more relaxed. She'd gained back some of the confidence she had before Damon decided to use her. Even her feeling in regards to Damon were different. Something Bonnie picked up while she grilled Elena on all things vampire. Oh, there was no doubt the blonde would have enjoyed scratching out the elder Salvatore's pretty blue eyes, but there seemed to be a kind of understanding there. "Whenever you said something to her. She feels…differently about you. Why?"

Because it seemed to be speculation based on her close relationship with Caroline, and nothing the blonde actually said, Damon relaxed. "Got me." He gave an impatient roll of his eyes. "And really does anyone know with sweet, simple Caro. Let's be honest, her mind was mush long before I worked my magic."

Turning her head, Bonnie decided the ceiling was much more appealing then his face. "Right."

Damon wasn't sure, but he thought he saw something akin to disappointed flicker in Bonnie's eyes. Then she turned away, shutting him out as effectively as if she'd closed the window in his face. It was clear he misplayed things. She'd taken the first step and in doing so threw him completely off. There were any number of lies he could have told. And in telling them would have kept that line of communication open. But she'd changed the game and he hadn't realized they were playing by new rules. "Bonnie…"

_Screaming in the dark, I howl when we're apart. Drag my teeth across your chest to taste your beating heart_

And he didn't even have to see the fleabag's picture flash on the screen of Bonnie's phone to know who was calling her. Not with that ringtone. And not with the way his little witch's face simply lit up.

"Hey," Bonnie whispered softly into the phone, unaware of the way her voice sent a shudder of pleasure down the vampire's back. "No, I can't." With a wistful smile she rolled on her side, her back now to the window. "I was, then Damon showed up…"

Not wanting to hear anymore, Damon once again took the form of the crow. Letting an annoyed 'caw' out into the room, before finding a perch that would allow him to view the entire house. Including the car parked across the street containing his brother and the dog.

* * *

song(ringtone): Howl by Florence and the Machine


	19. Chapter 19

**I disclaim. I own nothing.**

**Chapter 19**

School was out. Everything else might be sucking big time, but at least he had summer to look forward to. As the years went by, Tyler enjoyed summer vacation more and more. Because the older they got, the less Bonnie wore on the hotter days. And now she was his and he could enjoy those skimpy outfits up close and personally.

It would be better if there weren't a couple of vamps out to get her. If they weren't living with a bloodsucking bastard who-and he didn't care what Bonnie said-was out to steal her away. Hell, at this point Tyler would actually consider it a win if he could get his girl to sleep through the night.

"Hey Lockwood, see you tonight right?"

"Hell yeah." Tyler pasted on a false grin, instantly becoming the guy everyone expected. No one would have guessed a end of the year rager was the last place he wanted to spend his night. And surprisingly it was Bonnie who was all about going. Tyler knew what she was doing. Lately all it took was one look at Elena to see that she knew as well.

It had been weeks since Damon told them of Klaus and Katherine's war. Weeks and nothing. No threats, no strange vamps, no weird occurrences. Unfortunately the longer things remained quiet, the more anxious Bonnie became. Now she was just begging for trouble. Desperate for something to happen.

"Never thought I'd see the day."

Tyler looked over to Matt. Even more then any other day, the hallways were emptying at a record pace. But as was habit, Tyler hung back to talk to Matt. Between school, Matt working, and both of them being in relationships they didn't have much time to hang. So after school they both kind of lingered. And such was their friendship that a hand full of minutes after school each day was enough to sustain the relationship.

"See what day?"

"The day you were really not looking forward to a party." Matt didn't have much in his locker that needed to come out. Actually there was nothing in his locker that needed to come out, but he went through the motions anyway.

Tyler didn't ask how Matt knew. There was no point really. Instead he ran a tired hand down his face. "I'm just wrecked, man. I feel like a strong breeze could knock me on my ass, let alone a party."

"Bonnie's still having nightmares." Matt could see just how tired Tyler was. Actually, he'd been seeing it on Bonnie and Tyler's faces for weeks now. He'd been concerned, that's when Tyler admitted that Bonnie had been sleeping poorly. Had been since Grams died.

Tyler nodded. There were times he wanted to tell Matt the truth. But more, he liked that his friend was so far removed from all the darkness that lurked in Mystic Falls. From the darkness that sometimes lurked in him.

"Then don't go. You think your rep is going to suffer if you say you'd rather spend the night with your girl then at a party?" Matt gave a look that said that would be highly unlikely.

"Bonnie wants to go."

Matt's eyes narrowed slightly. "This isn't one of those things where she's doing something she thinks is going to make you happy and your doing something you think is going to make her happy. And in the end neither of you are happy."

Understanding that when he probably shouldn't have, Tyler shook his head. Granted he'd do anything to make Bonnie happy, he knew this had nothing to do with her happiness at all. Part of him felt as if going to this party would only make matters worse, and his girl even more unhappy. "Bonnie's in a place right now."

Matt grinned, hoping to pull his friend out of whatever funk he'd fallen into. "Why don't you work some of that Lockwood magic you're always going on about? Wear her out, so she doesn't want to go to the party either."

The grinned tugged at the corners of Tyler's lips, it was a sound plan. One he would have more then loved to implement were there not several problems with it. The first, and not least of which, was the fact that he and Bonnie still hadn't got quite that far. The second being that Bonnie didn't wear out. The heavier the make-out session, the more energy she seemed to gather.

Matt took in Tyler's silence. His friend, when it came to girls, wasn't the quiet type. No, he didn't regal the locker room with his every conquest. But he flaunted his relationships. Somehow, without saying a word, let everyone know just how far he'd gotten with every girl he went out with.

But with Bonnie…it was different. Yeah, Tyler strutted the halls-even more so now then usual-with his girl's hand locked firmly in his. Whenever she was at her locker, he was wrapped around her so tightly that everyone wondered how Bonnie got anything done. But where they were physically in their relationship, well that had remained a mystery. They cuddled in the hallway, they stayed wrapped together, but Tyler had yet to shove Bonnie against a bank of lockers to make-out with her for all the school to see.

"Have you and Bonnie….?" Tyler didn't say anything, and that was all the answer Matt needed. It was hard not to laugh. It was a feeling that left him torn. As the best friend he was duty bound to find humor in the other boy's torment. But as the best friend he'd seen how true and deep Tyler's suffering really was. The guy had wanted Bonnie since his upstairs brain deciphered the messages his downstairs brain was sending him. Matt couldn't imagine what it was like for him, sleeping next to her every night. "Damn, man."

"Don't act like you didn't know." Tyler all but ground out. It wasn't that he was embarrassed. But he was in hell. The longer they were together, the more comfortable Bonnie became with him. And going to sleep every night with Bonnie's tight, scantily clad body wrapped around his was as enjoyable as it was torturous. "I'm sure Caroline is having the time of her life with this."

"That may be, but she hasn't told me anything." Matt gave a absent shrug of his shoulders. "They're not exactly the 'locker room' type."

"Oh no, Stuttering Stan."

Matt frowned, then his face turned a bright and heated red. Ignorance, he decided, seemed to be the best way to go. "What? Why would you call me that?"

Tyler shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe because, when you reach a certain level of excitement, you embarrass our entire species by stuttering."

Sure his face was now a shade of purple not even found in nature, Matt refused to budge from his original decision to play stupid. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"D-d-don't you."

He was never going to live this down. He could live to be a hundred years old and Tyler would still be talking about this. "I can't believe Caroline told you."

The noise Tyler made was somewhere between a laugh and a snort. "Bonnie told me. And since I've known about it for awhile, I'd say Elena told her." It was clear Matt didn't know whether to be angry or embarrassed, so Tyler gave his a friend clap on the shoulder. "Look at it this way, Caroline was willing to over look this sad, albeit hilarious, problem when she went out with you."

Embarrassment won out and Matt hunched his shoulders as if to protect himself from the information. "I guess." He mumbled dejectedly.

Having nowhere near the self-restraint Matt had, Tyler gave a mischievous smirk. "Don't you mean, you g-g-guess."

"You're such a dick."

* * *

"I must say you are consistent." Damon voiced as he strolled casually into his brother's room. It was hard to keep his anger in check. It was bad enough that he'd driven to the _Grill_ expecting to find Bonnie and Stefan there. Instead he found Caroline, who informed him of Bonnie's plan to attend some party. "It is just bad idea after bad fucking idea with you, witch."

"We can't all be you, Damon." Bonnie was laying in Stefan's bed besides Elena. Tyler was in her bed, catching up on the sleep worrying about her had robbed him of. "How did that stellar plan of yours last week go?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm going to infiltrate Klaus' camp." Stefan began as he stepped out of the bathroom, eyebrows waggling in his best Damon impression. "Convince him that Bonnie doesn't have the power to open the tomb. I'll be gone an hour tops."

Damon's face became a contemplative frown. "I don't recall saying that."

"I don't know why or how you could forget such brilliance." Bonnie pushed herself up against the headboard. "It completely dismissed logic, common sense, and self-preservation. And I must commend Stefan on his ability to recall the exact words because what I heard was-"

"I'm going on a suicide mission." Elena provided from her place besides Bonnie.

Just because he was pissed at everyone in the room who wasn't him, didn't mean Damon couldn't appreciate the sight of Elena and Bonnie sharing a bed. A sight made better by the Jersey's they wore that left their legs bare. Made him wonder when they all became so comfortable with each other. Neither girl moved to cover themselves. Clearly Bonnie had no problem crawling into Stefan's bed half dressed. And Elena had no problem letting her.

Bonnie pointed to her best friend. "That's what I heard."

"Klaus," Damon began, the exasperation in his voice a clue to just how often they had this conversation. "Is the best point of entry. He doesn't have the connection to the Bennett line that Katherine has, therefore making him more likely to seek the help of another witch."

"One," Bonnie held up her index finger. "We don't know Klaus, so we don't know what he's likely to do in any given situation. Two," Another finger went up. "Since you went gallivanting all over the world looking for Katherine, odds are good Klaus knows about your connection. Which means-if he's as smart as we believe-he'll view any approach by you suspiciously. Three," Third finger was added. "Sending him after another witch, puts someone else in danger. Does not stop the tomb from being opened. Or stop Katherine from coming after me. Which brings us back to where we started. Completely…" The index and ring finger went down, leaving her middle finger up.

Damon gave a cocky grin. "But it's a plan."

"That in all likelihood leaves you dead." She threw her arms up in frustration. "Dead, dead. Sorry if I can't see how that helps any."

It was hard for him to keep the pleasure off his face. But Damon never thought he'd have Katherine to thank for Bonnie warming up to him. Ever since she found out the two older vamps were after her, it seemed as if the witch relented enough to allow him into her inner circle. Made him one of the people she wanted to keep safe.

Not that he didn't understand her reasoning. Without having to ask her, Damon understood that Bonnie felt the best way to keep everyone safe was to put aside all of their differences. A line of thought he agreed with whole heartedly. It just wasn't as close as he wanted to be to her. He felt as if her concern for him was distant, not as intimate as he would prefer. Almost as if her want to protect him was absent, like she lumped him in with every other citizen of Mystic Falls she wanted to keep from harm.

No, it wasn't nearly enough. But it was a step in the right direction.

"And what are you hoping to accomplish by going to a party where anyone can attend uninvited."

"My goal was to have a goodtime Damon." The truth was if she could lock them all away until Klaus and Katherine was finish wreaking their havoc she would. But just because that was not-yet-an option didn't mean she was going to march them directly into battle. Maybe she was itching for a fight, just daring someone to start something. But that wasn't the only reason she was set on going out tonight.

More then anything, Bonnie just wanted to be a teenager. Just for a little while. She wanted to hang out with her friends. Spend hours on the couch nuzzling Tyler's ear. And blowing off homework to call her friends and tell them how incredible her boyfriend makes her feel. But that wasn't the life they were all destined to live. No matter how much itsucked, it didn't seem there was much she could do to change that.

So Bonnie decided that until the terrible twosome showed, she was going to lead a normal life. Well as close to normal as a witch living with two vampires-one her guardian, the other dating her best friend-and her werewolf boyfriend could be. "Figured you of all people would understand that."

The smile on her lips was more of a challenge then anything else. A challenge the concern that he felt for her refused to allow him to rise to. But it helped Damon come to a conclusion that the others had obviously reached before him. There was no stopping Bonnie. She was impatient for something to happen, a feeling he could relate to well. But still, he could not go along with her.

_Damon,_ His brother's voice sounded in his head, _We've all had this fight with her._

_Then we'll knock her out and tie her to the bed._

_You can,_ A hint of a smile curled Stefan's lips, _She scares the hell out of me._

Banking the need to pace, Damon folded his arms over his chest. "Fine. If we're all just dead set on going to this party. Let's at least go in with some semblance of a plan. Go wake up your dog, witch. It's time to see how well you have him trained."

* * *

Elena didn't so much as flinch when Bonnie came up behind her. Simply rested her hands on the arms the witch wrapped around her waist. But she was on alert, because she was very much aware of the tension in her best friend's body.

"Can you make sure Caroline and Matt don't leave?" Bonnie's voice was even, almost bored. A complete contrast to what Elena knew the situation called for. An unknown vamp had shown up at the party. And everyone was to stay together to keep from being snatched. It was a code they worked out. As with the enhanced hearing, going up to one another and saying 'vamp, two o'clock' might be a little obvious.

What they hadn't worked out was a way to keep her from panicking. Honestly, she didn't know how Bonnie remained so calm.

Maybe, Elena thought, Bonnie had dealt with the reality of the situation. Instead of spending the last two weeks convincing herself everything would simply blow over. She allowed herself to lull into a false since of security. Even tonight, when they weren't as secured as they could have been, she hadn't been worried. Laughing with Caroline, catching up with Matt, watching Bonnie teach Stefan how to 'Dougie', even teasing Tyler until he relaxed a bit more. Now the good mood, even the illusion of safety, was shattered as the thing Elena had spent weeks ignoring charged into their life.

Before she could stop herself, her eyes shot over to Stefan who was standing calmly across the yard with Tyler. He looked as relaxed as Bonnie had sounded. But she knew him, loved him, spent hours studying him. So she saw the tension around his mouth others might have missed. Recognized the sharp look in his eyes. And wanted more then anything to be wrapped safely in his arms.

When the panic wanted to set in, to take over, Bonnie's arms tightened around her. "Hey, it'll be alright. I promise."

Saying nothing, Elena nodded. But the hands clutching at Bonnie's arms tightened.

"I want to try something." Bonnie spoke softly, hesitation clear in her voice. "Do you trust me?"

"Of course I do."

"Okay, relax. Close your eyes. Remember that time when we were ten, Matt and Tyler talked us into playing hide and seek out by Old Fells. It was dark and we got lost. So lost we spent hours wandering around, actually thought we had wandered into a whole other world…"

A world that seemed to contain nothing but the two of them, Elena thought. They heard nothing, saw nothing, all they had was each other. Small hands clutched together tightly, both failing to hold back tears, but making a effort to soothe the other. All they had, at the time it seemed like all they had in the world, was one another. It was an experience that bonded them, forged a friendship that could not be broken.

_Elena can you hear me?_

Now she did flinch, eyes shooting open in shock. Would have thought she imagined hearing her friends voice in her head, but she knew better. Knew power existed in the world, that a lot of it existed in her best friend.

"Yeah," The word was let out of a sigh, then again mentally. Wondering if that link worked both ways.

_I can hear you_. Bonnie confirmed as she rested her head on Elena's shoulder, making it look as though the day was catching up with her

_There's at least two of them. A guy; tall, curly blonde hair, dark jeans and Nationals jersey. He's talking to Emmaline Ross._

In what she hoped was a casual fashion, Elena scanned the crowd. She didn't allow her eyes to linger too long on the guy Bonnie was talking about. _Okay._

_And there's a girl. She doesn't stand still long. Red hair, cut pixie short. Black leggings, long purple tank, and killer boots._

She couldn't see her, but now she knew who to look out for. "You're tired. We should head back." _I'm scared, Bonnie. Why aren't you scared?_

_I can't afford to be._

Tyler simply did not like the way this night was going. Nor did he like the way they decided to handle it. Left up to him, they'd all haul ass back to the house. But Bonnie refused to leave all their classmates to the whims of the vamps. So he was forced to stay, forced to sit as things unfolded around him.

Bonnie could see his unhappiness . Could practically feel the tension coursing threw him. He was ready to act. If the energy continued to rush through him without an outlet he'd be ready to change. "Hey," She approached him with an easy smile on her lips. Because he was slouched down in a chair besides the pool, Bonnie simply climbed into his lap. "Smile for me."

Despite himself, Tyler wrapped his arms around her waist. "What's there to smile about?"

Bonnie's eyes narrowed. She hated that even after all these years, her stomach still twisted whenever Tyler was mad at her. "I love you."

"I love you, too." Which was why he wanted get his hands on the two vamps roaming the party, stalking her, taunting them. The wolf wanted out, wanted to protect its mate, wanted to kill every threat to her. "I love you more then anything in my life."

Instead of replying, Bonnie nipped at his chin, then his lips. She loved his mouth, thought she could waste hours of her day nibbling on his bottom lip. "Even when I do stupid things?" She mumbled softly against his mouth.

Closing his eyes, Tyler inhaled deeply. Allowing everything Bonnie to fill him completely, to soothe the wolf desperate to get out. "My girl."

The corner of Bonnie's mouth curled in a smirk that would have shocked her to learn was very much like Damon's. Leaning in the tip of her nose brushed his. "My Tyler." Closing her eyes, she pressed her cheek to his. "_Mine._"

"My witch."

There was a blur of movement, faster then the hands that had grabbed her shoulders could register, and Bonnie found herself tossed into the chair and blocked by Tyler's body.

"Don't you ever put your hands on her again." Tyler glared at Damon out of narrowed eyes.

Damon was…pissed didn't even begin to cover what was pounding in his chest. He was so sick of this saving everyone bullshit trip that Bonnie was on. Why couldn't she just be as selfish as everyone else and look out for herself? "Obviously you can't do shit with her." He carelessly shoved the boy aside. "I'm taking over." Reaching out, he grabbed Bonnie by the arm and roughly pulled her out of the chair.

"I said keep your fucking hands off her." Tyler shoved at Damon's back, pulling Bonnie out of the vampire's hold and back to his side. "I don't know who you think you are, but touch her again and I'll kill you."

Damon stepped forward until he was practically nose to nose with the fleabag. The smirk on his lips intended to anger. "I thought it was obvious. I'm her daddy now."

Before Bonnie could even think to react, Tyler's fist connected with Damon's face. There was blood running down Damon's chin, but he only smirked as he returned the favor.

"Stop it!" Bonnie shouted. She could not believe this. Could not believe them.

They had drawn a crowd, including the two vamps, which turned out to be a bit of luck from them. Bonnie's eyes connected with Stefan's, directing his gaze to their unwanted visitors. He quickly caught on to her line of thought and hustled Elena, Caroline, and Matt out to his car. As expected the vamps were too wrapped up in the drama Tyler and Damon caused to notice the others leave.

Thoughts running fast, Bonnie came to a hasty and likely foolish decision. She knew Tyler was too far gone to reason with. He'd been pissed most of the night, spent months looking for a reason to kick Damon's ass, and too upset with her to listen. Damon…well there was never any reasoning with him. But she needed to get their attention and the unknown minions away from the party. She could think of one way to accomplish that.

"I'm so sick of this." She shoved uselessly at Damon. "You want to make asses of yourself, fine. I'm gone."

She began to move quickly, shoving through the crowd, not bothering to look back to see who-if anyone-followed her.

Damon shoved Tyler hard enough to knock him on his ass and slow him down, before turning to chase after his witch. Only to find that he couldn't.

"Little girl,"

The voice was cold, sinister, and hod Bonnie kicking herself for coming up with a plan that left her alone with two vamps even for a second. Four, she amended, as they surrounded her from all sides. Damon and Tyler were going to kill her.

"Do you know just how…" It was the blond guy, pressed against her back, so that his voice slithered down her spin most unpleasantly. "Intoxicating you smell. Like power and death and something dangerously wild. Katherine won't be able to resist you."

Well that answered one question. Unfortunately that question had taken a back seat to wondering what the hell was taking Damon and Tyler so long to get out here. The spell was only suppose to hold them behind her for a few seconds. A few seconds she knew good and damn well that came and went.

"She'll turn you. Your blood demands it." His lips were at her ear. "You'll be a perfect addition."

"Too bad you won't be around to see it." The words were barely out of Damon's mouth when she felt the body at her back disappear.

Tyler was behind the one to her left, she saw his hand wrap around the pale throat, but could not see what happened next as the guy in front of her grabbed her arm. Bonnie reacted before she was even aware of it; pressing a hand to the vamp's chest she sent him up in flames.

It all happened so quickly, seconds from the moment Damon spoke to them dropping three vampires. She noticed the redhead turn to leave, was fully prepared to let her go.

"She's running!"

Bonnie turned at the sound of Tyler's voice, but it was the wolf she saw taking off after the redhead. "Tyler!" She screamed, but it was no use. The wolf disappeared into the trees.

"No, you don't." Damon grabbed Bonnie's wrist, keeping her from taking off after the dumb ass dog.

"Tyler!" She screamed again. "She could be going to get more of them. He could get himself killed." Bonnie tried to pull away from Damon, but he shoved her against the door of Tyler's car.

"Get in the car. Call Stefan and get your ass back to the house. Now!" He didn't give her a chance to argue, just turned towards the woods. Moving quickly, just nowhere near as fast as he could.


	20. Chapter 20

**I disclaim. I own nothing.**

**Chapter 20**

"Bonnie?" With one hand clutching the steering wheel, Stefan held his cell to his ear with the other. "Bonnie, what's wrong?"

"Your brother and my idiot boyfriend." Somehow, Bonnie had found a way to keep the frantic fear she felt out of her voice. It was important that she see appear capable, so as not to worry Stefan unnecessarily. As he was the most reasonable person she knew, it was important he remain calm. But it was hard as she worried over Tyler and Damon, wanting to go after them. Needing to protect them. "They were Katherine's, the vamps. There were four, we got three, but one took off. And Ty…he went after her. Stefan…"

"We're coming back." Even as he said it Stefan whipped the car into a wide illegal U-turn.

"There could be more." She believed very much that there were more. The one Damon staked had talked about taking her back to Katherine. The red head was probably running right back to their nest, with her jackass boyfriend right on her tail. "It's just the two of them…Ty and Damon..." And despite what either of them may think, Bonnie knew neither of them were as tough as they liked everyone to believe.

Because his thoughts had run along the same lines as hers, Stefan pressed on the gas pedal until it could go no farther. "I'll be there. Listen to me Bonnie, I'm on my way. Don't go after them. Bonnie!" But the line went dead, and he was throwing it into the dash before he could stop himself.

"What's going on?"

"What's wrong?"

Knowing that he had to be calm in order to calm down Elena and Caroline, Stefan waited a moment before answering. He could only be glad that they had dropped Matt at home already. "There were four vampires, they killed three. Tyler went after the one they missed. Damon went after him. And Bonnie's-"

"Half-way through the woods by now." Caroline finished as she pushed forward from her place in the back seat. "Can't this thing go any damn faster?"

Stefan gave a quick glance over his shoulder but said nothing.

"She's right." Elena pressed a hand to the dash in front of her as if by sheer force of will the car would move faster. "Bonnie's not going to wait for us to get there, she's going to go after them. She's going after Tyler."

"Pavlov's dog, remember?"

He remembered. And he swore if Bonnie was schlepping through the woods after his brother and her idiot boyfriend he was going to be highly pissed off.

* * *

Damon couldn't say he was surprised when he realized Bonnie had rushed head first into the woods; it seemed she was always bent on doing the exact opposite of what he said. Though he was sure because the dog was involved nothing short of chaining her to some impossible to move object would have stopped her. What did surprise him, however, was that he hadn't come across her asshole of a boyfriend yet. What he did come across were several bodies with their throats violently ripped out. The brutality of which he couldn't help but to respect.

"It was a relay system." He spoke casually when Bonnie practically collided with his back. There was no point scolding her, at least not yet. In her current mindset nothing he would say to her would get through. So he could stay quiet, contenting himself with thoughts of shaking her until it got through that bull brain of hers that she was not invincible.

"A relay system?" Bonnie stared down blankly at the decomposing body, processing only that it wasn't Tyler. It wasn't Tyler.

"They were going to hand you off, drag you through the woods so that we wouldn't be able to track you by scent." Absently he reached back to take her hand in his, pulling her along with him, but making sure to keep a step ahead of her. "It looks like Fido tracked whatever scent vampires give off and attacked everyone he came across."

"Death." Bonnie mumbled, the hand not locked in Damon's clutched at his bicep. She was trying not to let the fear and panic she felt over take her, tried to reassure herself that every body they came across that wasn't Tyler's was a good thing. "He said you guys kind of smelled like you were decaying."

"Well, he smells like wet dog." He mumbled, hoping to tease a smile out of her. But she didn't even seem to hear him. "You'll laugh about that later." He could practically taste her fear. Wondered if she could feel the way he trembled with the urge to bury his face in her neck and just wallow in it. "You weren't this afraid when you thought I was trying to kill you. But for him…" He didn't stop walking, never stopped scanning the surrounding area. "He's nothing. Insignificant next to you, but you love him like he matters. Why?"

"Because I don't know how not to. And don't," She began before he could so much as utter a peep. "Look at me like I just spoke Martian, you of all people should understand."

He was afraid to ask, but couldn't seem to stop the words from slipping pass his lips. "How's that?"

"You don't know who you are without Stefan." When he stopped walking, she gave him a tug to keep him moving. "You're so use to being the reckless ne'er-do-well to Stefan's long suffering angel you can't pull yourself out of it. You follow him around, torment him, because you don't know how to be anything else. Yet you protect him, would probably rip anyone who hurt him apart, because that's who you are as well; the big brother. That's why you didn't leave Mystic Falls after you found out Katherine wasn't in that tomb, because even your love for her was tied up in what Stefan is to you. That's why you didn't lose yourself when you lost her."

"That's a pretty speech witch, but try to get a little more life behind you before you go pontificating." The fact that he'd never looked at himself the way she could make him look at himself rocked him. That she could look at him with such disdain, act as if he were an afterthought and barely that, but seemed to have him all figured out was actually disturbing. Somehow she knew every button he had, and made no bones about pushing them. "And I hope you know, that wasn't exactly a ringing endorsement of yours and Fido's relationship."

"I love him, Damon. I can't tell you why or how or what for. All I know is what I feel. And that he'll never be insignificant to me, because he's everything that matters." She inhaled deeply, because this was truly new ground for her. "And I'm sorry I'm putting you in danger. But I need you to help me, I need you to find him, because I don't know how to go on with nothing."

* * *

Elena couldn't remember ever seeing Stefan this way. The closest she could think was the night Lexi died. Not as frantic, certainly. But he was pissed. And maybe a little scared. She hated to see him this way, but there was little she could do about it as she was struggling not to allow her own fear to over take her.

"Caroline, we need to call your mom."

"We need to find Bonnie." Elena argued moving toward the line of the woods where she knew Bonnie had gone.

"We can't leave these bodies," Stefan countered even as his eyes continued to glance towards the line of trees. He could count on one hand the people who mattered to him. And it twisted something painful in his stomach to know three of them were in serious trouble. But things needed to be done, he had to protect them on this end even as he itched to go after them and protect them physically as well. "Sheriff Forbes and her people will be able to contain the kids in the back and get rid of the bodies."

"No we can't," Caroline was pacing nervously. "One of us calls, they're going to recognize our voice. There's going to be questions." When something crunched under her feet, a frown creased her brow. "Aren't these Tyler's clothes?"

Scanning the bodies, Stefan dismissed the one he assumed was Bonnie's, searching for and finding a cell phone on the one with the baseball bat besides it. "I'll call, pretend to be Damon. Caroline you drive Tyler's car," Going to the pile of clothes Caroline was standing on he went through the pockets until he found Tyler's keys. "Elena you'll take mine. Go back to the house, wait there for us."

"What if a vampire shows up?" Caroline asked. "I've watched enough Buffy to know that because it's yours and Damon's house, anyone could just walk in."

"Bonnie lives there, it's her home."

Elena shook her head. "Bonnie always considered Grams' place her home. Gram's left it to her, she spent whole afternoons there after Grams died."

"Elena." Caroline tried.

"I'm only there a couple nights a week…"

"Tyler." Stefan concluded. "He'd consider wherever Bonnie is, his home. Now you two go, I want you long gone before the Sheriff gets here."

"Stefan," Elena fisted both hands in his shirt. But she couldn't find the words, didn't know the words to adequately describe how afraid she was. How desperately she wanted her best friend to be safe.

"I know," Cupping her face in his hands, Stefan pressed his lips to her brow. "I'll bring her back. I promise."

* * *

Damon wasn't sure if he smelled the little fleabag first or Bonnie actually sensed him. But they turned at nearly the same time; there was a blur of movement then they saw the wolf moving steadily. There was no time to think, Damon simply pulled Bonnie close and started after them.

There were others now, too many others Bonnie thought, closing in quickly. Closing in on Tyler.

Bonnie couldn't really think of a good analogy to describe what moving with Damon this way felt like. If she closed her eyes she could believe she wasn't moving at all. But it was hard when she knew Tyler was so close, she just wanted to see him. Wanted this night from hell to be over with.

Then she was flying. Falling. Being thrown. And it took several moments, having rolled a few feet, to collect herself. When she did there was a moment, a moment she would later be ashamed of, when she wanted to curl into a ball and pretend none of this was happening. She could _feel_ the violence, the rage, the _hate_ and _anger. _It was pressing down on her chest, sliding across her skin, thought if she weren't careful she'd actually choke on it.

She could hear the growls. The impact of fist on flesh, of skin tearing. God, she could smell blood. And she couldn't, just couldn't block it out. It was Tyler, she could never walk away from him. Never let anything happen to him. And Damon, he was out here because of her. Risking his life because she asked it of him, when she had put her foot down on letting him risk it by choice. It would make her the worse kind of hypocrite, the worse kind of coward.

The moment Tyler realized Bonnie was there was the moment it all went to hell. But it hadn't just been Tyler who noticed her. Damon wasn't sure what was pushing her, but the scent of her power in the air was heady. One of the vampires-a rather large man with arms the size of tree trunks-turned towards her. The wolf charged, prepared to attack, but the vampire's arm shot off knocking the wolf back so that the boy landed in heap.

Bonnie lost it the moment she saw the vampire attack Tyler. All the power, all the emotion that was going on around her, became a part of her. Then erupted. The vampire that had hit Tyler went flying, becoming impaled on a tree before going up in flames.

Nothing mattered but getting to Tyler. Bonnie barely felt the ground beneath her feet, didn't feel it when she dropped to her knees. Her vision was blurred with tears as she cradled his broken and bloody in her arms. What filled her could not be described, could not be named. The rage and the hate that poured off the vampires did not compare to what she felt at the moment.

"Damon!"

All she managed was his name. It only took one look at her for Damon to duck for cover. At the moment the only safe place was at her side. He'd never seen Bonnie in full power. Emily inhabiting her yes. But not Bonnie. Her eyes were a shade a green he'd never seen, the wind kicking up around her causing her hair to dance around her face and shoulders, and she seemed to be vibrating with energy.

It was carnage. Bodies burned, were impaled and staked as they burned. They were ripped apart, broken. It wasn't enough for her to hurt them, to end them, she wanted them to suffer. To be sorry they ever stepped foot in Mystic Falls. This night would be a message to Katherine, to Klaus. They'd know never to come after her or hers, without a steep price being paid.

"Bonnie," Damon was afraid to touch her, but he knew of no other way to draw her out of whatever place she sank into. Her skin was like fire, he was surprised steam didn't actually rise from where his hands framed her face. "They're dead, Bonnie. They're all dead. _Really_ dead."

The words barely registered. Because the words didn't matter, the damaged she'd done didn't matter. What mattered was the boy in her arms. And the blood that poured from the back of his head and into her hands. "He's dying, Damon. He's dying and I can't stop it. I can't stop the bleeding." All the practicing she'd been doing. And all she managed was surface heeling. She could cover the wounds but she wouldn't be able to stop the bleeding. "Damon please."

"Bonnie…I lost a lot of blood. I'm weak…I need to feed."

"Then take mine." There was no hesitation. No other option as far as Bonnie was concerned. "You can take my blood, feed from me, just save him." She wrapped her arms around Tyler, struggling to pull him closer. "Damon, please."

It was a moment he wanted to savor, so Damon moved slowly. He couldn't rush this, couldn't blow the opportunity presented to him. Because of the way she was cradling Tyler, he had no choice but to settle behind her. He pulled her hair off her neck, his eyes bleeding black at just the sight.

Absently he bit into his wrist, allowed Bonnie to press the wound to Tyler's mouth. He could feel the tension leave her body, she didn't even flinch when he scraped his fangs over her neck. Her skin was like melted butter and he couldn't keep his arm from locking around her when the first drop of her blood hit his taste buds. Then he was sinking his fangs slowly, deeply, into her neck. Unable to stop himself from taking everything she was offering.

It hadn't hurt. She expected the pain, the same terrible pain she felt the last time Damon sank his fangs into her neck. What she hadn't expected was to feel a bond forming. Would have sworn she could feel the blood flowing from her into Damon then out to Tyler. Suddenly she was aware of both of them. It was too much, the magic she'd just expelled leaving her too raw, and now it did hurt. But the pain wasn't hers; it was theirs.

Damon didn't think he'd ever known anything to taste so fucking good. Liked honey heated by the sun and power. It was perfect, she was perfect. So perfect he had to force himself to slow down, to savor her taste. To allow her blood to slid slowly down his throat. His body tightened, becoming aroused in a way he'd never known before.

Tyler knew the taste of Bonnie's skin, of her kiss, but he never thought he'd know the taste of her blood. Never thought he'd enjoy it so much. It didn't seem like it should work this way. That he could be drinking from Damon and tasting his girl.

This was the scene Stefan came upon. Bonnie with a naked and bleeding Tyler in her lap and a ravenous Damon latched at her throat. And that was to say nothing of the charred and broken bodies scattered around them. Bonnie seemed to be holding both of them. Everything, Stefan thought, absolutely everything about this was wrong.

Stefan didn't bother to take a moment to decipher what he saw. Closing the distance between them in record time he snatched his brother off the witch. A move that wasn't altogether easy as Damon fought him, aggressively. But the smell of Bonnie's blood was heavy in the air causing the veins around his own eyes to run darkly down his cheeks.

"Stefan, don't!"

Standing between them, blocking Bonnie from his brother, Stefan found himself struggling with his own blood lust. He couldn't turn to look at her. Part of him was ashamed to. "What's going on?"

"Tyler's hurt, Damon was helping. He was dying, Stefan." But his breathing wasn't as shallow, his eyes were fluttering open, and everything in her life was alright again.

"What does that have to do with Damon feeding on you?"

"I'm a badass, but the odds that I could take down a group of Katherine's cronies without getting hurt are a little slim. I got hurt, Bonnie let me feed from her to save him." A move Damon had called very early on. He known, had been sure, that Bonnie's need for her dog was going to be what got him what he wanted. She'd do anything to protect the boy, keep him with her. Even bare her neck to a dangerous vampire.

Stefan had seen the victorious glint in his brother's eye. He shouldn't have been surprised that Damon would take the absolute hell that was this night and turn it in his favor.

"Fuck,"

"Ty," Bonnie couldn't remember ever hearing anything so wonderful as the strangled curse slipping from her boyfriend's lips. He tried to move, his body shifting a few inches causing a groan of pain to escape his lips.

When Tyler's eyes blinked open, his vision was filled with Bonnie. "Bunny,"

Despite the blood that stained his lips, Bonnie covered his mouth with her own. The taste of blood in his mouth didn't bother her, didn't really bother her that she wasn't bothered by it. What was worrying was that she could distinguish not only Tyler's blood, but Damon's as well. What was worse was the way she so easily put it to the back of her mind to take the kiss that much deeper.

Any residual effects from changing, nearly dying, and ingesting vampire blood may have had was wiped out by Bonnie's kiss. Tyler's hands shot up to fist in her hair, dragging her closer. When her hand slid down his stomach he became aware of just how naked he was. And that his body was reacting just as it always had when he kissed her.

"You know, Stefan," There was nothing Damon could do to keep the anger from his voice. He could still taste her, could still feel her pressed against him. She wreaked him, changed him, yet she was all over someone who wasn't him. What was worse, was that he could _feel_ what she felt for the fleabag. The love and need so strong, he didn't know how she could stand it. How anyone could stand feeling so much. "If you wanted to help you could have brought some clothes to cover Fido up with."

* * *

It took some time and something Bonnie couldn't name, though she knew she didn't have, to find a pair of pants for Tyler. Stefan had thrown the clothes Tyler had shed during his change in the car with Caroline, so they had to find a body that wasn't burned and then strip the clothes from it.

"Here," Bonnie spoke softly as she approached Tyler, his hands were shaking so badly he couldn't fasten the shorts they'd…acquired. "Let me." Gently pushing his hands away she snapped and zipped the fly closed. Because the shorts were at least two sizes too big they hung low on his hips.

Unable to help herself, Bonnie let the tips of her fingers dance along his hips and over his stomach. Closing her eyes she pressed her ear to his chest, finding comfort in hearing the steady beat of his heart.

"Alright," Damon began, his voice nowhere near as harsh as it had been earlier though his displeasure was still evident. "I moved my car. Stefan's waiting. Let's go."

"Damon wait," Pulling out of Tyler's arms, Bonnie was relieved Damon stopped and wouldn't make her chase after him. She turned questioning eyes up to Tyler. "Give us a minute?"

Tyler's jaw clenched. Leaving Bonnie alone with Damon was the very last thing he wanted to do. But they'd already been through so much tonight, he didn't want to fight with her as well. "Alright." Reluctantly he moved away from her, just barely resisting the urge to knock the satisfied smirk off Damon's face.

"Damon," Bonnie began, not entirely sure how to have this conversation. Well at least not with him. "I just…what you did tonight…"

"Don't." And he wasn't trying to play it off, wasn't trying to win favor with her. Damon just honestly didn't want to hear this.

"No," Bonnie shook her head, cursing the tears that gathered in her eyes. "I have to. Tyler…I don't know what I'd do without him. I've been such a bitch to you, tomorrow I may go back to being a bitch. You didn't have to do this and I don't think I'll ever be able to express just how grateful I am. I owe you my life."

"I saved the fleabag." Damon corrected stiffly. "The fleabag owes me his life."

The corners of Bonnie's lips curled slightly. "That fleabag is my life. So thank-you."

"You don't have anything-"

"Say you're welcome, Damon"

"Maybe later." The smirk that curled his lips faltered when she leaned in close. He wasn't sure what he expected, it certainly wasn't to feel her lips against his cheek. His hands automatically went to her hips, keeping her close when she would have pulled away. She was so small, he never realized how small she was. It was no wonder Fido was always bending over her. It was an urge he was finding pretty hard to resist at the moment.

"Odds are I won't stop being a bitch to you." Though her lips only tilted slightly, her eyes were alight with a smile. "I'll probably only mean like forty percent of what I say."

The way she was looking at him now, as if he wrapped the world up in a pretty little bow and presented it to her, it humbled him. Kind of made him wish his motive for saving Fido wasn't entirely selfish. "That works because I only listen to about forty percent of what you say."

Suddenly, Bonnie became aware of Damon. Not just how close he was, not the intensity in his eyes when he looked at her. Not the surface feelings he always seemed to generally project. But of what he _felt_ as he looked at her. The confusion, the shame, the disappointment. All feelings she could accept and dismiss. But there was a spark of something else, something real and scary that had her deliberately stepping away from him. "We should go."

It was more then just a physical retreat, Damon could feel her close off emotionally as well. He knew that if he pushed her now, he'd only succeed in setting himself back. So he let her go. "Yeah, I doubt Stefan was able to keep Fido from chewing the seats."

"You're hilarious."

"I'm also smart, charming, funny, and devilishly handsome."

"You forgot arrogant, ridiculous, and assholish."

Trademark smirk in place, Damon threw his arm around Bonnie's shoulders. "I just love how well you know me."


	21. Chapter 21

**I disclaim. I own nothing.**

**AN: Sorry it took so long for this update. I've been going over and over this chapter because I knew it wouldn't make a lot of people happy, but it's just the natural progression of the story. Be forewarned it is very Bonnie/Tyler heavy. Damon does make an appearance, as does Stefan. But this is very much a Bonnie/Tyler chapter. And it's a long one.**

**AN2: This chapter comes with a complete soundtrack. 1st song-_On Your Arm_ by Schuler Fisk-fits over the beginning. 2nd song-_Meteor Shower_ by Owl City-fits during Tyler's shower. 3rd song-_Find A Way_ by Safetysuit-begins when Tyler finds Bonnie sleeping. 4th song-_They Bring Me To You_ by Josh Radin-begins right after Bonnie says 'I'll be gentle'. 5th song-_Vermillion pt.2_ by Slipknot-plays during Damon and Stefan's conversation. And the 6th and final song-_Be My Only_ by FM Radio-plays through the last scene.**

**Chapter 21**

Bonnie always thought when the time came, convincing Tyler wouldn't be the most difficult part of it. Had actually taken advantage of her power by assuming he'd read her intentions on her face. Thought, when she asked him to go for a ride with her, he'd know exactly what she was asking for. Yes he'd got into the car, waited while she ran into the house to grab a few things, but he was _not_ happy about it.

His attitude, however, did not discourage Bonnie one bit. She simply chalked it up to his nearly dying. Figured once they reached their destination he'd understand. But when she pulled up in front of her Grams' house, his brows only creased in confusion.

"We can shower and clean up here." Bonnie explained nervously, not understanding why this was turning out to be so much harder then she ever imagined it would be. "I just want to be alone with you."

Tyler still wasn't entirely sure of the mood she was in, but climbed out of the car none the less. She was nervous, he didn't have to have her blood inside of him to recognize the signs of a nervous Bonnie. It confused him, but not nearly as much as the excitement. He wasn't sure if it was coming from him or her, but it caused his stomach to twist all the same.

He always wanted her, but never had to fight so hard to keep from pressing her back against his car and burying himself inside her. "There's still running water and electricity?" Even to his own ears his voice sounded strained and rough.

"Yeah. My dad hardly paid attention to the money coming out of his accounts when he was vaguely aware of me." She hefted the bag she packed onto her shoulder, only for Tyler to take it from her. The move was absent, automatic, and made her smile. "It seems he's paying even less attention now." When her father first started traveling for his job, he set up a checking account for his daughter. Every week a couple of hundred dollars would be transferred from the account to help care for her. Grams had found it insulting and never touched the money. At sixteen Bonnie was allowed access to it.

It didn't surprise Bonnie that he hadn't closed the account. Though it hurt, she admitted he probably forgot all about it, the same way he was able to forget all about her.

Understanding at least this, Tyler took Bonnie's hand. She would keep the utilities on, she'd keep the house open. Because when she wanted to visit her Grams, when she needed to talk to her, she'd prefer to do it here in the house Grams loved then in the cemetery where her body lay.

"I'll use Grams shower," Bonnie began as she unlocked the door. "You can use-"

He cut the words off with a kiss. There was a part of him that reeled back in protest. He could still taste the blood in his mouth, knew it was dried on his fingers and caked under his nails. He didn't want to touch her like this. More then the blood, he felt as though he was covered in death. He needed to wash it away, to be clean so that he could feel as though he deserved her again. "I know where the shower is." He pressed a chaste kiss to her brow before drawing back.

Some part of her felt rejected and she found it difficult not to let it show on her face. "Well," Digging into the bag she packed, Bonnie pulled out a pair of rolled up gym shorts. "Here's your stuff." That he could be upset with her caused that horrible sinking feeling in her stomach and made Bonnie desperate to make it right. He'd barely taken two steps, so Bonnie was able to catch his wrist in her hand. "Ty?"

"Yeah."

Instead of responding, Bonnie simply stepped into him. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she lay her cheek against his chest, and let out a contented sigh when his arms instantly came around her.

"You okay, Bunny?"

"Fine." But some part of him must not of believed those words because his arms tightened around her and eased away the nerves she'd been fighting. With an easy smile, she stepped away from him. "Promise."

He couldn't get the water cold enough. Logically he knew the water was as cold as it was going to get, but he still felt over heated. Wanting Bonnie had been as much a part of who he was as the color of his eyes since he was fifteen years old. It was a feeling that grew more pronounced, more acute, with every year that passed. But tonight was the first time he felt overwhelmed by it.

When he woke up to see Bonnie over him, to feel her inside of him, he was filled with something he'd never experienced. He'd been confused by his feelings. He wanted her blood, wanted it so that it felt detriment to his survival. Then she kissed him and he'd never wanted her more. Part of him was ashamed, disgusted, that he would think to touch her, to have her after what he'd done.

Now she wanted to be alone with him. But he didn't fully trust himself. The want for her was ripping through him like a wild fire. Not even standing directly under the frigid water could cool it. What he needed to do was talk her into going back to the boarding house. Thought it would be better all around if he stayed the night at his parents place. Unfortunately he could no longer even imagine spending the night away from her.

Tyler didn't know how long he stood under the spray of the shower. Bonnie had come to the door a few times, which didn't help matters any as just the sound of her voice had heat shooting through his body. But when he realized no amount of cold water or thoughts of road kill would soothe his excited system, he finally stepped from the shower.

Despite the low volume, Tyler heard the music playing softly as he started up the hall. Stepping into the living room his heart all but stalled in his chest. The room was lit by a single, shadeless, lamp she placed in the corner. Bonnie was curled up on a large quilt, her arms and legs left bare by the pale green dress shirt, it was his. He loved that everything she slept in was his. He couldn't really remember moving, wasn't aware of anything until he was knelt beside her.

When he first realized what he was, he'd been afraid to touch her. Afraid that one day he wouldn't be careful enough and the rage inside of him would spill over onto her. It was a hang-up Bonnie made sure he got over quickly. She was always brushing her fingers over his arm or the back of his hand. And all it would take was just that simple contact from her to turn that burning rage in him, to thoughts of Bonnie.

Now here he was, so far away from who he'd been, yet he was afraid to touch her. She was so strong; he didn't know how that much strength could exist in something so small. How perfection could exist where it wasn't possible.

When his fingers brushed her hair gently back off her face, it was without him being fully aware of it. Thought he would have been content to simply sit and watch her. Content to know that she was real and with him. But then he was laying down, pulling her close to him, drifting softly as his fingers moved over her absently. He could do this, Tyler thought he could do nothing but this, for the rest of his life.

Bonnie came awake slowly. Even in sleep, somehow, she heard him enter the room. Felt his hands on her. Took in the scent of his soap with every breath. And when her eyes finally blinked open, she was looking into his. "Ty."

It was like she sighed his name. And his entire body buzzed from the pleasure of it. Before he could respond, prepare himself, her fingers were in his hair pulling his mouth to hers.

A thrill of excitement shot down her spine. They woke up this way, had been waking up this way, for weeks now. Hands sliding over heated skin, breath mingling as their lips met in a kiss. But knowing where-finally-all the kissing, touching, tasting would lead made her kisses that much more passionate, her hands that much more eager.

The only thing she packed for him to wear were a pair of gym shorts, so when she tried to press closer, Tyler pressed a hand to her hip to keep her a safe distance away. But she was persistent. And extremely hard to resist. The only thing Tyler could think to do in order to save his sanity was heft her up a bit so that when she succeeded in throwing her leg around him, her heat pressed to the tightly knotted muscles of his stomach. The sound that strangled in his throat was embarrassing but completely beyond his control.

Bonnie loved what she could do to him. Loved the sounds he couldn't hold back, the way his muscles bunched and tensed. Even loved the way his hands clutched at her, sometimes so tightly they left fingertip shaped bruises. But what she loved most of all, was the way he could hold back. Tyler Lockwood, who wasn't exactly known for denying himself anything, kept himself in check. For her. The problem, however, was getting him to let go.

"Ty." Pulling back from the kiss just a bit, Bonnie sated them both by letting her lips brush his as she spoke. "Ty, I'm ready."

"For what?" Tyler didn't even recognize the strained voice as his own. But was proud of the fact that he could actually form words.

The giggle bubbled up and fluttered against his mouth before Bonnie could stop it. Instead of answering, she decided on a more direct approach. Reaching behind her, Bonnie pried away the hand on her back. Linking her fingers with his, she brought their joined hands to her lips before lowering them to where she was pressed against his stomach.

"Oh," Drawing back, Tyler buried his face in her neck. With a deep steadying breath he ran his hand around to her back, then under the hem of the shirt she wore. Shifting into a sitting position, his fingers slipped into the back of her panties. Cupping her ass he lifted her just a bit higher before allowing his fingers to curve lower.

Bonnie opened her mouth to explain what exactly it was she was asking for, but all that escaped was a high pitched moan. Her hips began to move of their own accord, rocking forward against his stomach and back against the fingers he slipped inside of her. The friction was…incredible, causing her entire body to tremble.

Locking her arms tightly around his neck, Bonnie pressed her brow to his. The sound she made was somewhere between a moan and a whimper, but she managed to still her rocking hips. She didn't know how he managed to look as disappointed as she felt but it brought a shaky smile to her lips.

Another desperate whimper escaped when she pulled back a bit, successfully pushing his fingers deeper, and it took all the willpower she had to keep still. "No." At this, Tyler eased his fingers from her, causing Bonnie to bite into her bottom lip to keep from crying out at the loss. It didn't help matters when he brought those same fingers absently to his mouth, slowly licking them clean. "Ty," Arousal made her voice a low, husky, moan. But it also made her bold. Surprising even herself when she slipped a hand between them to take his erection in her grasp. "I'm _ready_."

It took a moment, as he was trying desperately not to come, for her words to seep into his lust fogged brain. But when the realization finally did hit, he gave her a look of complete disbelief. "What?"

Though it wasn't the reaction she was expecting, Bonnie drew comfort from the fact that it wasn't an out and out rejection. Still not completely confidant, she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I want to be with you. Tonight."

"But," His heart picked up a rhythm so fast he was surprised it didn't leap right out of his chest. "We're at Grams' house."

The fact that he could speak so calmly, so patiently, when she could feel how his heart was racing. She wondered if he knew that his eyes had gone that tawny gold, causing her to press against him even tighter. "You gave me my first kiss here. Do you remember?"

"Yeah." The night of their first school dance. They'd been twelve years old and filled with all the confusion that accompanied that age. Like most boys of that age, Matt and Tyler were decidedly against dancing, but there had been no stopping the girls. And Tyler had his first taste of rage inducing jealousy when thirteen year old Brennan Weaver had lead Bonnie out onto the dance floor.

It was a feeling that stuck with him even as he walked Bonnie back to Grams house that night. And gave him the courage to press a quick, wet, anxious kiss to her lips on the front porch. "It was mine, too."

"This is where we first met. This is where we found out who and what we were." As she spoke, her fingers ran lightly up and down his back. Causing him shudder with each pass. "This is my home. This is where I knew I was loved. Every good thing that ever happened to me was here. And one of the worse things that ever happened. I can't lose the good times. Give me a new memory."

"But," And he could not believe he was arguing this with her. "It's your first time. Most girls want…I don't know candles and music and…Well, hell, at least a bed."

Somehow, though it didn't seem possible, she fell in love with him all over again. That he would think about that, would want that for her, only made her all the more sure of her decision. "There is music. I don't need a bed. And fire," She smiled, relieved to see his lips curl a bit as well. "is probably not the best idea. Honestly the lamp is making me a bit nervous."

Tyler gave a nervous chuckle, hoping he could live up to her expectations without the house burning down as a result. "Bunny," Hands that he couldn't keep from shaking came up to frame her face. "Are you sure?"

Bonnie brought her own hand up to press against his heart. "You know I am." She didn't know what to make of the nerves that still danced in his eyes. "Don't look so worried. I'll be gentle."

The gentle teasing was enough to calm him. There was a subtle smile on his lips when he flicked open the top button of the shirt. "Promise?" He pressed his lips to the newly revealed skin. He worked slowly, keeping his eyes on hers as he worked the buttons loose.

That he kept his eyes on hers the entire time, had Bonnie realizing she was face to face with a Tyler she so rarely seen. He was so sure, so confidant. As if her giving him the green light brought out the guy who charmed his way into the pants of so many girls before her. There was a pang, a terrible mix of pain, anger, and possession, that she resolutely pushed away. None of those other girls mattered. He was with _her_, he _loved_ her.

Besides, Bonnie thought as Tyler flipped her onto her back, she doubted any of those other girls had ever seen him quite like this. None of them knew what it was like to see Tyler stare at them out of the wolf's eyes. To have those tawny eyes roam over their body with the predator's intensity. This was _her_ Tyler. Only she would ever have him this way, know him this way.

The same possessive line that ran through her thoughts, pumped through his veins. His love for her always tilted towards the possessive, some would say the obsessive. But he loved her the only way he knew how. He had tried, often times fought, to bank the sharper urges that plagued him. But at the moment he didn't know how to control it. Not when he watched his fingers slide slowly from her neck to her breast, knowing he was the only one to ever touch her this way.

Bonnie wondered if he knew that the way he was crouched over her now was so much like the wolf before an attack; his shoulders were hunched low, his back arched just a bit. Wondered what it said about her that her stomach twisted with more then just a little arousal.

There was several moments where Tyler struggled with his control. He couldn't remember ever feeling so overwhelmed before. There were so many things he wanted from her, that he wanted to _do_ to her. It was only having her looking up at him-eyes so full of trust-that reigned him in a bit. Slowly, body trembling with the need to pounce, Tyler lowered his mouth to hers.

She'd been so hoping he'd kiss her. To feel his breath shudder out just as his lips met hers. That his eyes remained open, remained locked on hers, was a whole other thrill. He kissed her with confidence, with authority, but so thoroughly she could believe it was their first. But even better, was that instead of drawing back completely, he peppered her lips with the softest, sweetest kisses she ever received.

Tyler loved that her lips curved with each touch of his. Loved the way her body arched into his touch. Loved the way her hands pressed and pulled at him. And when his hand cupped one breast as his mouth closed over the other the moan that escaped her had the muscles in his stomach clenching almost painfully.

"Ty," Her throat was so dry it actually hurt to speak. But she wanted-needed-more. "Ty."

When his name slipped past her lips in a choked sob, Tyler released her breast slowly-reluctantly-so that he could pull back. Eyes trained on hers, he hooked his fingers in her panties. Was nearly struck stupid when her only response was to lift her hips to allow him to pull them off. Humbled, ridiculously in love, he pressed a kiss to her belly before resting his head there to gaze up at her.

No one had ever looked at her the way he was now. Though it may have been ridiculous, Bonnie thought no one person had ever looked at another the way Tyler was looking at her now.

"Bunny," Part of him wanted to ask, again, if she was sure. He knew that she was, he knew her well enough to know this was not something she would do if she wasn't completely certain. The problem was him. He'd wanted this for so long, it seemed unreal to finally be here with her. "I don't have…"

Bonnie's hand flung out blindly, her knuckles rapping painfully on the floor, she searched under the quilt before her fingers wrapped around the square packet she tucked away earlier.

Fingers closing over hers, Tyler lowered his body to hers again. Busying himself with her mouth while Bonnie used her hands and feet to tug down his shorts.

When the thought of using magic to get rid of his shorts struck her, Bonnie realized just how desperate she was to finally have him inside her. Of course there were nerves, she welcomed the nerves. But all the time she was feeling guilty about denying him, she hadn't realized that she was suffering right with him. Naturally they fooled around; he'd used his fingers quite a few times to bring her pleasure. But it hadn't been enough. And as she lay here now, ready to burn the shorts off if need be, Bonnie understood that it hadn't been nearly enough.

It took a moment for Tyler to realize that his shorts were giving Bonnie more then just a bit of trouble. He'd been too busy enjoying the feel of her teeth and nails to understand that she was expressing her frustration. Drawing back, he made quick work of the shorts, though his shaking hands added a few unnecessary seconds to opening and applying the condom.

He was trembling from head to toe, Bonnie wasn't sure why that touched her so. Bringing her hands up to frame his face, she wanted to comfort him somehow. But her hands were shaking just as badly as he was.

"Tell me you love me." Tyler demanded, reaching between them he placed himself at her entrance. Fighting every instinct he had to drive himself inside.

"I love you." Bonnie brushed her hands though his hair, down his back. She couldn't touch him enough; thought she'd never tire of touching him. "Give it back."

Lowering his cheek to hers, Tyler let out a shuddering breath. "I love you, Bunny." Slowly he began to ease inside of her. "I love you."

* * *

Damon never knew rage could be cold. Heated, maddening, and blinding rage he was use to, welcomed it at times. But he'd never known such a frigid, violent, suffocating rage such as he was feeling now. And all because he knew, with a dead on certainty, that Bonnie was somewhere fucking Tyler Lockwood.

He wanted to kill something. Slowly. To cause pain and suffering and torment the likes of which had not been seen before.

Part of him wanted to blame Stefan. Hadn't it been his brother who kept him distracted just long enough for Bonnie to run into the house for a few things before driving off with Fido.

Maybe if it was just the rage he felt. If the need to hurt something was all that was driving him, he could have picked a fight with Stefan. Pushed and pushed until Stefan had no choice but to push back. Then he could have worked off the sharpest edge of anger.

But what was driving him, what he hadn't been expecting to feel, was hurt. A hurt he swore never to make himself vulnerable to since finding out Katherine wasn't in the tomb.

That Bonnie could do this to him, that he hadn't known Bonnie could do this to him, was bad. That he wasn't sure just what to do with this knew found knowledge was worse.

"Why are you doing this to yourself?"

Damon's eyes were a dangerous black when he turned to his brother. "Fuck. Off."

Stefan knew this was probably the wrong time, but he also knew there would never be a good time to have this conversation. "You'll never have her, not full out. She loves him."

"Don't you think I know that." Damon shot back. "She's inside me, now. I know how she feels about him. That she loves him. Loves him to the point of fucking insanity."

"Then what's the problem, Damon. Move on." Stefan knew his tone was harsh, lacked the comfort his brother may be in need of. It was the only way he knew to save both Damon and Bonnie from the inevitable way this could end. He didn't want Damon to suffer. Nor did he want Bonnie to suffer having Damon's love.

"Because I know how she feels about me, too." There was no way he could misinterpret the spark of attraction when she kissed him. The way she felt comfortable and safe with him. "She doesn't hate me anymore. There's something there, something between us. Things changed tonight."

"It's progress." And it pained him to admit it, to recognize it, but Stefan gave his brother that much. "Last month she wanted to set you on fire in your sleep. Consider it a win."

"It's not a win if she's fucking Tyler." Damon whirled around just in time to see the surprised look on his brother's face. "Didn't pick up that? Didn't realize that when your sweet, innocent little Bonnie asked you to distract me it was so that she could sneak off with Tyler?"

"He nearly died." Stefan countered. "She wanted to be alone with him, spend time with him. She said they'd only be gone a few hours."

For a moment Damon could only look at his brother. The brooding he could handle. The martyrdom he'd been dealing with. The diet was fun to pick at. But this, this kind of ridiculousness, he couldn't deal with. "Bonnie lied. Obviously. She had no intention of coming back here tonight."

The fact that Bonnie had lied to him, even by evasion, pissed Stefan off. She had to know how he worried about her. That he wouldn't be able to really relax until he was sure she was okay. It's not that he didn't understand why she did what she did. Experiencing your first time in a house full of people, two being vampires who'd hear everything and the other two being best friends-one of which never knocked and the other just being plain nosey- was likely not ideal. And he knew this really was none of his business. However, despite what his brother believed, Stefan didn't like to worry. Now he was going to spend half the night up worrying about Bonnie being so far away from where he could protect her.

"You had to know this was going to happen eventually." Stefan fought hard to battle back his own concern to help his brother.

The fact that they'd been together for as long as they had, shared a bed longer then that, and had known each other longer still, yet kept things fairly innocent may have lead Damon into a false sense of security. He'd known sex would soon become an issue, part of him believed that Tyler would push things. Didn't know whether to be impress or disgusted that the fleabag hadn't.

"Elena says Bonnie always wanted Tyler to be her first."

How Stefan thought that was helping, Damon didn't know. In fact it was precisely the problem. That fucking dog had been her first in everyway that mattered.

"Let it go, Damon." It was best for everyone. Stefan believed it was the only way for them to make it out of this current situation alive. "Let _her_ go."

For a long moment Damon said nothing. The words that had formed in his brain, that fought to get out, was going to reveal more than he wanted anyone to know. But ever since he flipped that switch, since he let Bonnie in, he found his mouth running away from him. "Could you walk away from Elena? Could you just let her go?"

Stefan winced. This was precisely what he didn't want. This, he knew, was precisely the point where everything was going to go to hell. "No."

"Then how could you expect me to walk away from Bonnie."

* * *

"Ty," Bonnie sighed his name against his back.

"Hmm?"

Realizing what was about to slip pass her lips, Bonnie quickly clamped her mouth shut. That the words 'was it good for you' had formed in her mind at all, embarrassed her. Not only were they horribly clichéd, but ridiculous as well. But it didn't seem as if she could help herself.

What she hated, was that during she'd had none of these doubts. When Tyler was inside of her, she could feel the way his body trembled and the tension of the muscles in his back, she'd been sure. Even after, when he all but collapsed on top of her, his heart beating erratically in chest, and holding her as if she were the only thing anchoring him to earth. But now, with the sweat on their bodies having dried, and the air having cooled slightly, the doubts began to creep in.

She'd known, as well if not better then everyone else, that Tyler had been with his fair share of girls. Not enough to earn the title of man-whore, but enough to prick at the self-esteem of his current inexperienced girlfriend. Making her, not just embarrassed, but afraid of the answer she might receive.

This night, finally being with Tyler this way, meant more than she thought she could ever explain. Even before tonight she had loved beyond reason. Now, knowing the feel of him inside of her, she loved him more. But on top of that, was a growing need. And a want that defied logic. She wanted him forever. She wanted him again. Now. Wanted him so that if felt like a living thing just clawing to get out. But what if hadn't enjoyed her, what if she was a disappointment, hadn't measured up to the other girls he'd been with? What if he never wanted her again? What would she do, if he preferred some other girl?

"Bunny,"

It wasn't just the sound of her name that pulled Bonnie from her desperate thoughts, but the hint of panic lining his voice. And was surprised to look down at her own hand and see her nails digging into his back. "Sorry." She rubbed her lips over the deep red marks. "Sorry."

"S'Okay." But he shifted onto his side, forcing Bonnie onto her back. "Got a little possessive there, huh?" The grin on his face showed that he didn't mind the behavior at all. In fact, he enjoyed it. But he knew it bothered her, knew she didn't like the loss of control that it sometimes caused her to feel. It seemed odd, but maybe exactly how it should be, that what made her feel out of control is what grounded him. To know she loved him as he loved her. That she _needed_ him as he needed her. It brought him comfort, security.

"I have to find a way to control it." Especially now, when her emotions were so tangled up with Tyler and Damon's. That she could lose it as she had earlier, cause that kind of destruction, when it was only her emotions that pushed her was scary enough. She hated to think what she could do when being influenced by Damon and Tyler. The captain and commander of going off half-cocked.

"You will."

The words were breezy, but not dismissive, so that she knew he had total confidence in her.

"Now," Propping himself up on his elbow, Tyler grinned down at her. "What was it you wanted to say earlier." He recognized her embarrassment. Thought he knew her well enough to know exactly how her mind worked. "You weren't going to ask me how it was…were you?"

"Maybe. Not everyone has your vast experience to-"

"What does that have to do with anything?" Tyler interrupted her. "What does anything that happened before matter, if I don't make you happy. Who do you think matters more then you? How could you think anything or anyone could compare to you?" Cupping her cheek in his hand, he lowered his mouth to hers. Was more then pleased when he felt her sigh into the kiss. Couldn't even describe what it felt like to have her naked body pressed to his. "You do know what I mean when I say _happy_, don't you."

Even with her lips pressed to his, they still curled into a smile. "You just had to ruin it, didn't you?"


	22. Chapter 22

**I disclaim. I own nothing.**

**Chapter 22**

If asked, Elena didn't think she'd be able to recall a time when she was as pissed off at her best friend as she was currently. She hated having to go back to the house, not knowing the full extent of the danger the people she loved had been in. Left with nothing to do but sit and worry as time seemed to drag on unbearably. When they finally returned, relatively unharmed, Elena had never known such a feeling of relief. A feeling that was short lived as Bonnie barely said two words to her before she shot back out the door.

Stefan had explained to her, and a painfully quiet Caroline, the scene he'd come across in the woods. Both girls, having nothing more to go on then Stefan's description-vague though it was-had imagined the absolute worse.

The two girls had gone to Bonnie's room, planed to remain there until their friend returned. The thought of just how close they'd come to losing her weighing heavily on both of them.

"Elena. Elena."

Not so much the annoyingly loud voice, but the firm shake on her shoulders broke through to the sleeping girl, causing her to groan and burrow further into the pillow.

"Elena wake up."

"What time is it?" Between sleep and her face being buried in the pillow the question came out more like 'wet Simon said?' But years of friendship allowed Caroline to interpret.

"Nine. Bonnie's probably been up for hours and she'll be back soon." Though she was aware that it would accomplish nothing, Caroline yanked the sheet off of her sleeping friend. "I need you up and comprehensible when she gets here."

Awake, but not at all happy about it, Elena rolled onto her back. It was nine o'clock on the first morning of summer vacation. This was a morning she'd planned to sleep as late as she possible could in Stefan's arms. "I'm up."

"And comprehensible." Caroline reiterated. "You can't allow sleep to soften you up. Bonnie needs to know that it is not cool to go after a gang of vampires, scare us half to death, then cuddle the night away with her werewolf boyfriend."

"How have our lives have gotten so strange that I'm more upset about being up this time of morning then by what just said?"

"Why don't you go ask the vampire love of your life?" Caroline returned as she dragged Elena out of the bed.

Teeth brushed, face scrubbed, and no closer to being functional then she was when Caroline first shook her awake Elena-literally-shuffled down the hall. "I need coffee."

"Aw, sweetie." Full of sympathy, Caroline threw her arm around Elena's shoulders, allowing her friend to lean on her as they made their way down the stairs. "The sooner you get to the kitchen and make the coffee the sooner you'll have it."

"I don't make the coffee, Damon usually does." But once she considered his mood the night before, Elena very much doubted Damon was up making coffee this morning. "And if not him, then Bonnie." Who hadn't come home, so therefore wasn't here to make morning coffee. Elena figured she couldn't really be blamed for the near painful whimper that escaped her. "What are we going to do, Caroline? I can barely see colors."

Cutting her friend a sideways glance, Caroline would suggest the first thing they do is get Elena into some kind of coffee detox program. "Maybe you should go back to bed."

"No, I need to see Bonnie. Make sure she's okay. Yell at her."

Caroline gave Elena's shoulders a comforting squeeze. "That's what we both want."

The two girls just barely cleared the last step when the front door opened, emitting the bright morning sun seconds before Bonnie and Tyler.

"We can leave the coffee and donuts down here, then head upstairs and lock ourselves in our bedroom." Holding a box of donuts aloft with one hand, Tyler wrapped his other arm around Bonnie's waist.

"Caroline's probably in there." Because she was holding a coffee carrier in each hand, Bonnie could do nothing about the hand he slipped beneath her top.

"Then we'll boot her out."

"You are such an ass, Tyler."

Bonnie jumped but, much to Elena's utter relief, managed not to drop either of the carriers she was holding. "Hey." Not even the glares from her friends could wipe the smile off of her face. "Morning."

"Morning? Hey?" The incredulous look on Caroline's face became even more so when Elena quickly abandoned her for the friend they had agreed to be pissed at. "That's all you have to say?"

"You guys are up early?"

"Ew," Elena had just barely taken a sip from the first cup she grabbed before practically spitting it out. "That's Tea."

"That's Caroline's. Your's is the one with the 'E' on it."

Quickly switching the cups, Elena honestly considered risking a scolded tongue to just inhale the coffee. "Bonnie, if I don't say this enough, you are the absolute best."

"Elena!"

"Right." Elena took a decisive step back. "Stefan is not happy."

"Why? What did you do?"

Thrown off by the question, whatever Elena was going to say was replaced with a confused frown.

"Well," Tyler shoved the box of donuts at Elena until she had no choice but to take it. "Whatever Elena did, I'm sure Stefan'll get over it." Framing his girlfriend's hips in his hands, he began to guide her towards the stairs. "Caroline if you could grab the coffee, Bunny and I are going to head up to bed."

"Do you really think I'm going to let you two lock yourselves in the bedroom when I've been waiting all night to yell at her?"

"Why would you assume I'm the reason Stefan's unhappy?"

"Why else would Stefan be unhappy?" Bonnie wondered before turning back to Caroline with a frown. "And why are you going to yell at me?"

"These are all valid questions." Much as he had with Elena, Tyler took the drink carriers from Bonnie and shoved them at Caroline until she was forced to take them. "What do you say we take a break from each other, regroup tonight, and find the answers to these questions."

Despite the looks being shot her way from her two best friends, Bonnie couldn't help but to laugh at Tyler's over eagerness. "Hey, just go on up. I'm right behind you."

Giving a slightly pained, highly annoyed sigh, Tyler nodded. This was why he never particularly liked Caroline and Elena, they ruined everything.

Not understanding the dirty look Tyler was shooting her, especially considering the fact that he and Bonnie just spent the entire night alone together, Caroline felt it was only necessary to return his look with an equally dirty one of her own.

"Do you even understand how worried we were?" Carrying two trays of coffee she still wasn't entirely sure how she came to have, Caroline lead the way into the living room. "You ran, head first, into a situation that could have gotten you killed. Elena and I had to come back here and wait, completely cutoff, completely unaware of what was going on or if you were even still alive."

"I'm sorry." Dropping into one corner of the couch, Bonnie spoke the words sincerely. "I'm sorry I worried you, I'm sorry you had to go through that. But I can't apologize for you both being here and not out there. You two were safe, you didn't see what we…" She didn't know how she was going to get through it, live with knowing what she was truly capable of when pushed. "I can't be sorry for that."

"Bonnie," Elena sat on the couch besides Bonnie, while Caroline sat on the coffee table in front of them. "What happened last night?" Stefan had been too vague, she understood that he hadn't been there for much of what happened, but knew there was something he wasn't telling her.

"Tyler…" She'd never not see him that way; bleeding and broken on the forest floor. Never not know that pain of being so close to having to live a life without him. "There was a moment, this horrible moment, where I thought I lost him."

"That's why you wanted to be alone with him last night." Caroline concluded. And she understood that. The year wasn't even over yet and already Bonnie lost her Grams and her dad, who knew what a third loss could do to her at this point. "Now I'm surprised you bothered coming back here at all. The love of your life is nearly killed, is it any wonder…" She trailed off, her mind working quickly if not a bit strangely, before realization dawned. "Oh my God, you and Tyler had sex last night."

Elena, who had been in the middle of enjoying her first sip of coffee, began to choke. Her initial reaction was to look at Caroline as if she'd gone crazy, but her eyes landed on Bonnie. And it didn't take long for her to see what Caroline had. "Oh my God, Bonnie! Were you even going to tell us?"

"You never gave me a chance." Now the smile was back on her face. All she had to do was close her eyes to remember what it felt like to have Tyler's weight on her.

Any anger Caroline may have been holding onto dissipated at the sight of Bonnie's smile. It was still hard for her to believe that Tyler 'stupid ' Lockwood was responsible for that light in her friend's eyes. "He must be worth his reputation if he put that smile on your face after your first time."

"Caroline." The warning in Elena's voice was perfunctory. There's been no malice in the blonde's statement, just Caroline's usual tactlessness. Turning to Bonnie, she took the witch's hand in hers. "How are you? How…?"

"I'm fine. Better then fine." Tucking her feet under her, Bonnie realized she was practically bubbling over with excitement. "It was…he was…" Realizing she was about to start babbling on like an idiot, Bonnie took a few calming breaths. "Okay, at first it was awkward, a little uncomfortable, and it hurt. You guys totally under sold that part." They had outright lied to her, actually, but she couldn't even hold it against them. Not with the mood she was in this morning. "But it was still…It was Tyler. And he was so sweet and so gentle."

"Tyler?" Caroline and Elena both spoke his name with more then a bit of disbelief.

"Yes Tyler. My Tyler" She glanced over her shoulder, before leaning in conspiratorially. "Believe it or not, he was nervous."

"Seriously." Caroline's grin was ear to ear. "I have to go tease him." She started to get up when Bonnie grabbed her hand and pulled her back down.

"Don't you dare."

"Bonnie!"

There seemed to be no lapse in time between the witch's name being spoken and she was lifted off the couch and into Stefan's arms.

Not entirely sure what was going on, because Bonnie was fairly certain Stefan wasn't excited about her having finally swiped her V-card, she patted his back awkwardly. "Hey, Stefan."

Setting her back on her feet, Stefan took a deep shuddering breath. Now that he was satisfied that she was okay, he had to now fight the urge to shake her. "You can't just 'hey' me. I'm not very happy with you right now." Relieved, maybe, but not happy. As far as he was concerned none of them needed to leave the others sight for as long as Katherine and Klaus were on the loose.

"Wait, you can't be mad at me. I told you where I was going."

"But you implied that you were coming back last night. You did." He reiterated when it looked like she was about to argue. "It's actually how you convinced me to help you."

"That," Was actually kind of true. Realizing it now, she felt bad. It had never been her intention to manipulate Stefan. And where she always considered Stefan a friend, she never would have guessed it would affect her so much to have him be upset-no unhappy-with her. In an offer of peace she reached over and picked up one of the coffee cups. "I brought your favorite."

There was a teasing smile on her lips that Stefan couldn't help but to return. "Toffee caramel?" Bonnie nodded. "You're forgiven."

"I'm disappointed." Damon strolled in, trying very hard not to show how affected he was by Bonnie's presence. He could smell the soap from her morning shower, but it did nothing to mask the smell of the dog and even himself. They were inside her as much as she was inside them. "She puts herself in danger, she then runs off without telling any of us where she's going, comes back with coffee and all is forgiven."

"Are you saying you don't forgive me, Damon?" Not fully understanding her own actions, Bonnie found herself walking around the couch and pressing against his back. "Even though I got something especially for you."

"Not interested." He tried not to react to her proximity, but it was hard to remain indifferent when he could feel the heat from through his clothes. He wanted to reach back, press her closer. Not only wallow in his scent on her skin but in the happiness that seemed to vibrate all around her

Bonnie gave his shoulder a tug, forcing Damon to bend more to her height so she could speak softly into his ear. "I find it hard to believe that big bad Damon Salvatore isn't interested in in a large cup of fresh, warm, O neg."

Part of him wanted to press closer, feel her lips against his ear, but he refrained. Even managed to keep his face from registering the shock that graced the others. "And where did you get that?"

"Some tramp at the coffee shop was coming on to Tyler," A smirk to rival Damon's curled her lips. "She insisted on learning the hard way how much I dislike sharing."

Eyes narrowed, Damon cocked his head to the side. It took a moments study, because she seemed completely serious. "I don't buy it." He didn't doubt for a second that she took considerable objection to other girls flirting with Tyler. But he doubted she drained one for it, at least not yet. But it wouldn't be long, not with his and Tyler's emotions influencing her.

Bonnie gave an indifferent shrug of her shoulders. "Fine. But a girl was hitting on Tyler and I thought about it." With a flick of her wrist she had one of the cups floating across the room towards her. "Does that count?"

Keeping his eyes locked on her, Damon took the cup from her hand. "Considering the source. Yeah it counts." Leaning in, he gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "But you're still not forgiven."

"Okay, wait." Caroline held her hands up as if she were trying to halt the earths rotation. "What…Why?" She began to wave her hands about to encompass the room. "What is this? With the touching and the kissing. And I don't like it."

Though not nearly as frantic, Elena nodded her agreement. "Explanations are definitely needed. Because obviously a little more then Tyler nearly dying happened in those woods last night."

Stefan made a noise over the mouthful of coffee he just took, successfully drawing the room's attention to him. "Oh yeah. This is a fun story. Why don't you tell it, Bonnie?"

"Ah, I'd love to." All good-natured chagrinned, Bonnie began to back towards the entry way. "But I promised Tyler I'd be right behind him. And you guys know how he gets when he doesn't get his way."

"Or his witch." Elena added.

"Exactly." Bonnie shot the room a wide grin. Gauging the time she needed to make it to her bedroom and locking the door before her two friends chased after her demanding answers. "Long story short Tyler, Damon, and I kinda swapped blood last night. There appears to be a bond of some sort, but I wouldn't worry about it too much. Damon can explain it better then I can. Later." With this, she turned and ran as fast as she could up to her room.

Stefan pointed after the retreating witch. "She's good."

The confusion she felt showed quite clearly on Caroline's face. "Wait. What?"


	23. Chapter 23

**I disclaim. I own nothing.**

**Chapter 23**

Days later, Elena and Caroline were still no closer to understanding just what the hell had gone on in the woods between Damon, Bonnie, and Tyler. Bonnie had been vague and short, running off to be with Tyler like they'd been apart for years. Damon had been flippant and dismissive. Which left them with Stefan, who'd done his best to explain blood bonds and imprinting and bonds formed with magic. But at one point Elena would have sworn her eyes had crossed and Caroline simply stopped listening. Both girls got the gist, whatever the hell happened was not good. What further proof did they need then Bonnie crawling all over Tyler every chance she got and the scary flirting she did with Damon. Stefan had explained that Bonnie's blood…or Damon's blood…somebody's blood had to work it's way out of somebody's system. Tyler figured in there somewhere, too. But once that happened the bond would be gone. Or should be. The whole thing was a little murky. In their defense, _Stefan _hadn't been entirely clear. But they took comfort in the fact that this-whatever it was-in time would pass. Theoretically.

For now they were having a movie day. It had been Damon's idea; everyone decided not to comment on the fact that it was an obvious a ploy to get Bonnie and Tyler out of the bedroom. Though Caroline had to admit she was a little over the two couples inhabiting the Salvatore Boarding house as well.

Ever since that night in the woods, Caroline had been spending the majority of her time there. It seemed her mother, worried about the carnage she came across in the woods, felt better knowing her daughter was with a member of the council while she was busy elsewhere. The group had spent hours each day strategizing, theorizing, or mostly arguing over their next move or Katherine or Klaus' next move. Most sessions would end with one or both couples rushing off to their bedrooms like sex was only days away from being outlawed.

Having had enough, Damon decided they needed a break from it all. And though she was spared from having to hear-as Damon surely did-them go at it like a bunch of nympho-monkeys, she was in full agreement with his decision. Caroline assumed shock at Damon's tame suggestion is what had everyone agreeing. Which was the last thing they actually agreed on.

"Caroline," Bonnie was curled up on Tyler's lap in one of the large black leather recliners. "I say this as someone who loves you and never wants to see you hurt; if I have to sit through _Dear John_ one more time I'm going to set fire to this room with us all in it."

Damon, who was standing if front of the entertainment center flipping through everyone's movie picks, frowned. "What's _Dear John_?"

"It's a Nickolas Sparks-"

Having heard enough, Damon found the corresponding DVD and tossed it over his shoulder. "Nope. Who picked _Pride and Prejudice?_" He hoped no one noticed the smile that twitched at the corners of his lips when Bonnie raised her hand adorably. "Not watching that either." The DVD joined the other one across the room, earning him a scathing look from his witch. "Mutt-Fink?"

"_Never Back Down._

Damon found the DVD, flipped it over to read the back. "Angry teenager," He read off. "Underground fight club." The three girls groaned and as far as he was concerned that made it a win. "Djimon Hounsou, Cam Gigandet-"

"Okay." Caroline quickly changed her mind.

"Yeah." Elena agreed from her place on the couch with Stefan.

"Put that in." Bonnie ordered. "I swear Tyler has the best taste in movies."

Suspicious, but ready to see a little mindless violence, Damon put the movie in before moving to his own recliner.

They were barely fifteen minutes into the movie when Bonnie gave a frustrated huff. "Take it off." Already mourning the loss of all the arm candy the movie provided, she fought he urge to pout.

Elena's face was creased in a contemplative frown. "How did we not see that before?"

"I told you vampires ruin everything." Bonnie mumbled, she didn't have to even look across the room to know that Stefan's brow had creased in a frown. "I'm not including you in that generalization."

Not fully taking her eyes off the screen-because hello shirtless Cam Gigandet-Caroline turned her head towards Elena. "What?"

"Sean Faris looks exactly like Ben McKittrick. Remember the guy Bonnie went out with," Because no one else seemed to be moving, Elena uncurled herself from Stefan's side to remove the movie from the player. "Who turned out to be a vampire, who kidnapped, and tried to kill us."

"Ben McKittrick was hot." Caroline looked at Stefan, somehow already knowing the answer to her question. "You killed him, didn't you?"

Stefan shrugged. "He kidnapped Bonnie and Elena. Of course I did." Dismissing the whole thing as if he just admitted to taking out the trash, he turned back to Elena. "Put in _The Hurt Locker._"

"I have a question." Caroline began some time later, they were now watching _The Usual Suspects. _

Not even bothering to spare Caroline a glance, Tyler lifted the remote towards the TV to increase the volume.

With a roll of her eyes toward her boyfriend, Bonnie snatched the remote from him and paused the movie. She still wasn't sure how he was allowed to get his hands on the remote, no more then she understood why he couldn't watch anything without holding on to it. "What's going on, Caroline?"

"Well, it's just this movie got me to thinking. We know what Katherine looks like." Tucking her feet under her, Caroline shifted in her chair to look at her friends. "Do we know what Klaus looks like?"

Because it was a valid question, everyone turned expectant eyes toward Damon.

It took a moment as his mind tended to wander whenever Caroline spoke. And due to the utterly ridiculous James Dean/James Franco debate the three girls had during _Rebel Without A Cause_ he'd tuned them all out. "What?"

"Do you know what Klaus looks like?"

"Why would I know what Klaus looks like?"

"Because you spent a hundred and forty-five years obsessed with a woman and he happens to be her…" Caroline frowned. "Sire? Maker? What word do you guys use? Do you even really have a word for it? Because it's obviously not at all like the sire/childe relationships they had on _Buffy._ And though I just started the first Sookie Stackhouse novel I realize the maker/child thing there is a lot deeper. But what I don't know is if that's all like artist interpretation or do those kind of relationships exist just not with you guys. Is it because of the way you guys are turned? Because-"

"Oh my God, Caroline. Land your plane."

"I got off topic, didn't I?"

Bonnie nodded. "Doesn't negate your point. Shouldn't we know what Klaus looks like, shouldn't we know what to look out for?"

"What does it matter what he looks like." Damon waved it off. "You see a vampire that isn't me or Stefan, you run."

"But why run from Klaus, we don't know what he wants." Elena countered. "I mean not really. You said yourself that between him and Katherine, he'd likely be the most reasonable."

More then having his own words thrown back in his face, it annoyed Damon the way Bonnie held a hand out in her best friend's direction as if what she said was utter genius. "That doesn't mean you approach a vampire older then any I've come across before."

"Damon's right." Stefan nodded his agreement. "Right now, we don't know what Klaus really wants, we don't know how he's going to act. So we-"

"And by we, he means you three." Damon added. "Fido can do whatever the hell he wants."

"_We_," Stefan stressed towards his brother who had a habit of running off half-cocked into a situation. "Don't provoke Klaus, we don't approach him. So for the time being, the only vampire's we approach or talk to are in this room."

* * *

"Something about this seems like the worse idea ever." Caroline wasn't sure how Damon became the idea person, no more then she knew why they all followed his suggestions. But it was Saturday night and they were at the Grill. Not that Caroline didn't like hanging out, didn't like being able to see her boyfriend, but they were just a bit too exposed for her liking.

Elena made a restless movement with her shoulders before giving in to the urge to lay her head on the table. Despite the noise level, she realized that she could probably drop right off to sleep. In her group of supernatural friends, she'd never felt more human. Her boyfriend's stamina was outrageous and trying to keep pace with him was wearing her out. Yet when she looked across the room, Bonnie was a bundle of energy. And though she wished she didn't, Elena happened to know for a fact that Bonnie and Tyler went later than she and Stefan.

"We can't lock ourselves in the Boarding House." Elena mumbled. "We have to continue to live our lives."

"And you need a break from all the sex."

"Oh my God, they're like bunnies. Look at them," She flung her arm out, gesturing toward Stefan, Bonnie, and Tyler. "How are they not tired? Stefan, okay, I get. But Bonnie and Tyler, they're not even dragging."

Caroline angled her body so she could look towards her three friends. Tyler was playing pool with Matt, while Bonnie and Stefan were busy at the jukebox. All three had the biggest, stupidest grins on their faces.

"I'm exhausted." Elena whined.

Caroline thought about pointing out that Elena could say no, she highly doubted Stefan would step out on her. She also felt the need to point out that at least Elena was having sex with her boyfriend, whereas she couldn't remember the last time she and Matt were together. Not that anyone had said Matt couldn't come over or stay the night, they actually encouraged her to invite him over. Though Caroline knew that had more to do with them wanting her distracted more then anything else. But until Bonnie got a handle on her powers, sex, and sex with her powers there was no way Matt could stay the night.

"Alright BFFs," It was easy to see the tension in Damon's shoulders as he slid into the booth besides Elena. His mouth was drawn tight, his eyes hard. "It's about time one of you talk to the little witch. Let her know that when it comes to sex, it's okay to pace herself." Damon didn't know how much more he could take. Knowing she was fucking the dog was bad. Hearing those incredible little moans, sighs, and whimpers was worse. But there were no words for the torment he went through experiencing the dogs emotions as he lost himself inside the little witch.

Most nights he had to leave the house, going out and settling between the first pair of thighs that opened for him. The experience was always lacking; the walls clutching him weren't tight enough, the scent of blood never sweet enough, the skin pressed against him not hot enough. The finish never satisfying. Somehow the witch had ruined him for other women and he hadn't even fucked her yet.

Others nights he took matters into his own hands, so to speak. In the privacy of his own bedroom he could fist his shaft as tight as he could stand. He could focus in and hear Bonnie just as clearly as if he was in the room with her. Smell her arousal so strongly that he could practically taste it on his tongue. Found pleasure in knowing that his needs often found there way into their bed. He knew the dog nipped at her lips and tongue until his was drawing her blood into his mouth. Knew Bonnie sank her teeth into the boy's neck and shoulders until she tasted blood.

"Coming from you," Caroline scoffed. "What have you ever denied yourself, Damon?"

"Which is why I said you two should tell her." Damon glanced over at Elena. "Or maybe just you Caro, Elena seems to be too busy fucking my brother."

"And you're home reading every night like a good boy." Elena snapped in return. She may have been tired, but she would not be made to feel bad about sex with her own boyfriend.

"You two are useless."

"And you're jealous." Realizing exhaustion wasn't an excuse for bitchiness, Elena tried to soften her tone. And maybe her words were more for Bonnie's benefit but it didn't make them any less true. "Why do you do this to yourself? She loves him."

Damon's jaw clenched. Being told that Bonnie loved Tyler was high on the list of things he did not need to be reminded of. He couldn't understand what it was about his connection to Bonnie that his brother and Elena didn't quite grasp. Bonnie loved Tyler, he knew that. But he also knew Bonnie cared about him as well. "Like I said, useless."

Elena shook her head as she watched him go, when she turned back to Caroline she thought she could actually see the wheels turning in the blonde's head. It took a moment, it usually did when one had a thought process like Caroline's, but realization finally dawned. And Elena just hoped Bonnie's sex high got her through the Caroline inquisition that was headed her way.

"Because saying, hey Bonnie can we talk, would not have been sufficient?" Because she was use to being dragged around by her friend, there was more then a hint of amusement in Bonnie's voice. Caroline, thank God, had not changed much over the years. Of course she matured and mellowed, but she was still demanding, blunt, as far from linear as one could get, and all the other things that made up the awesome that was Caroline Forbes.

"No," Caroline shook her head, practically bubbling over with excitement. "Not for this."

Bonnie would have been worried, thought she should have been, but more then the apology in Elena's eyes, there was amusement. Bonnie recognized trouble, but figured it couldn't be too bad. Naturally she figured wrong. "Okay, so-"

"Damon's in love with you."

Yeah, that was not at all what she was expecting. And because it was Caroline and they were talking the boy/girl way of things, she would not be easing out of this conversation. It was a topic she avoided with everyone else. But this was Caroline and she'd successfully trapped Bonnie in the booth, so there'd be no avoidance. "Damon has been back in Mystic Falls less then a year and in that time, I'm the third person he's been obsessed with. It'll pass."

"No," Caroline disagreed. "From what you guys told me, he was obsessed with Katherine. He had a crush on Elena. He's in love with you."

"That doesn't even make sense." Bonnie argued. She knew Damon had feelings for her. Knew what he felt when he looked at her. But it wasn't something she could deal with right now. It was bad enough that the bond between them opened her up to him in a way she vowed never to be. Made her see him as more then Stefan's asshole brother, Caroline's tormentor. She felt the love he had for his brother, the way he respected and cared for Elena, even the slight, reluctant affection he held for Caroline. He was more than she originally thought, more than what he wanted others to believe. She could admit that. Anything more she just wasn't ready for. "I'm not forgiving or compassionate, I'm nothing he would want. Once he figures that out he'll move on."

No, Caroline thought, Bonnie was exactly what he would want. It pained her to admit, but Caroline knew she and Damon had more in common than either of them would ever admit. Issues with inferiority and self-worth have plagued them since childhood; coming up short against someone else, never being quite as good. For her it was Elena, for him it was Stefan.

For people like them, someone like Bonnie was as necessary as air. You wanted her love, because you knew it was forever. Around her, you knew that you mattered and that you were more then enough. Knew that you had someone who'd do anything for you, who'd put your feelings before her own. Damon would see the way Bonnie loved Tyler and would want that for himself. Would _need_ that for himself. "Whatever helps you sleep at night, Bon?"

Taking in the grin on her friend's face, Bonnie's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Why are you so giddy about this? Even if it were true, nothing good could come from this Caroline." Damon didn't do rejection. He didn't know how to handle being hurt. And the longer this blood bond went on, the less inclined Bonnie was to hurt him. She now knew how deeply he felt things. So she understood just how badly he could be hurt. She didn't want that for him.

"Yeah, I know." But the smile was still on her face, her voice dropped to a whisper. "You have to see it." She only had to glance at Elena to see her thoughts were working along the same line. "I know you see it."

"No," Bonnie spoke the word firmly. Because she knew where Caroline was going with this and wanted to cut it off now.

"Oh my God," If they were back at the Boarding house she'd have squealed. "You're caught between a vampire and a wolf. You know who that makes you?"

Bonnie sent a pleading look to Elena, who looked to be enjoying this way to much. "Don't say it, Caroline."

"Bella Swan."

The groan was pained. "I told you not to say it."

Sharing a grin with Elena, Caroline rolled her eyes at Bonnie's dismay. "Come on, Bonnie, how could I not say it."

Death Cab for Cutie's cover of _Love Song_ is playing when Tyler approaches Bonnie. It takes no effort to lift her by the waist and sit her on one of the barstools, angling her hips forward so that he could wrap her legs around his waist.

"It seemed like every time I looked up today someone was dragging you away."

"Not far." Almost absently her hands went to his chest, tugging at his shirt to expose the curve of his neck to her mouth.

"Still," Framing her hips in his hand, he held her pressed tight against him. He loved the way her lips felt on his skin. "I like having you close."

"You'd have me in your pocket if you could." Just over his shoulder she noticed a couple enter. Attractive, definitely not from around here, and dismissed when she felt Tyler's fingers on her back.

"Damn straight."

Her lips curved against his neck. She loved the taste of his skin and had to fight the urge to sink her teeth into the tempting curve. She wanted to mark him, attempted to do so every chance she got. Any pleasure she had from seeing the purple bruising on his neck and shoulders turned to a bitter anger when she had to watch them disappear.

"Well isn't this sweet?" Damon pressed himself against Bonnie's side, threading his fingers through her hair to angle her neck to the side. "At least it would be, if the need to fuck each other silly wasn't behind this little display. It smells like the two of you are in heat."

Because he could, added benefit of pissing the vampire off, Tyler bent his head to graze his teeth over Bonnie's neck. "Smells good on her doesn't it?" His lips curved, slowly, tauntingly. "Tastes even better."

The little fucker, Damon thought as his fingers tightened in Bonnie's hair. "I'll find out soon enough." He pressed his lips to the witch's ear. "Isn't that right, Bonnie?"

The only thing more disturbing then the way her body was reacting to them, were the things she imagined. She could see herself pressed between them, Tyler's mouth on hers while Damon's was at her neck. Damon spreading her open while Tyler drove inside her. And she wanted it. Wanted to know what it was like to be pressed between them one unbearably hot, the other so cold. Wanted so many things she didn't fully understand. She wanted to keep Tyler with her always, make him hers, and never let go. At the same time she wanted to care for Damon, be the friend he seemed so desperately in need of.

"What's going on in that mind of yours witch?"

It might have been crazy, but Bonnie could swear Damon knew exactly what was going on in her mind. The bastard had a way of looking at her as if he knew every one of her dirty little secrets. "Nothing." Wrapping her arms around Tyler's chest, she pulled him closer. "Go away, Damon."

"I would, if I thought that was what you wanted." Actually he wouldn't, they all knew that but let it go. "But we both know it's the dog that wants me gone. I think it would be best for everyone if he-" His hand lifted towards the wolf, only for Bonnie to catch his wrist in a firm grip.

"Mine." She spoke the word lowly as the legs still wrapped around Tyler's waist tightened. "No one touches him but me."

Across the room Caroline watched the three supernaturals. "I don't know if they're going to start fighting or-"

"Don't," Elena shook her head emphatically. "Finish that sentence. Stefan?"

But he was already moving towards the three of them, wrapping one arm around Damon's shoulder he moved his brother back a few steps. "We need to leave. Now."

It took a moment, between the territorial rage swelling in the dog and the arousal pumping through Bonnie's veins, Damon struggled to grab hold to some semblance of control. "You wrangle the children, Stef." He jerked out of his brother's hold. "Not me. I'll leave when I get good and fucking ready." And that'll be when he sates the near violent lust just being around his witch caused.

It was hours later when Damon walked a bit too steadily out of the Grill, he wasn't drunk enough, no where near drunk enough. But there wasn't anyone in the place worth his time or attention. And figured if he was looking to get good and piss assed drunk he'd might as well do it in the comfort of his own home.

"She's lovely."

Damon shot an annoyed look at the man leaning against the trunk of his car, but continued on to the driver's door. Whatever the stranger wanted, he wasn't in the mood for.

"I can see why you and the wolf are practically salivating over her."

That stopped him cold, tension locking every muscle as he looked back towards the man, no _vampire_, now leaning on the car parked besides his. He was tall, Damon hated that he had to look up at him. He was dressed all in black, dark hair pulled back in a ponytail, and a neatly trimmed beard lining his face.

"Then again they were all lovely; the Bennetts. One has to wonder if Katherine picked them for their beauty or power. I'd guess both."

"Who are you?"

"How rude of me." He extended one well manicured hand. "But I do believe you've heard of me. The name's Klaus."

* * *

**AN: So if I had to cast the roll of Klaus, I'd go with Steven Strait. The dark eyes, the dark hair, the hint of danger. This chapter was a tad more adult-at least I thought so-then the others. But this part of the story the Damon/Bonnie/Tyler is where the entire fic came from. The scene in the woods, the threeway blood swap is actually the first scene I wrote. I also have the very last scene of this fic written, that was the second thing I wrote. So rest assured I know where I'm going with this. **


	24. Chapter 24

**I disclaim. I own nothing.**

**AN: Sorry about the long wait on this one, but my life became consumed by all things Misfits. There was also a Bonnie/Mason story that just would not let me be. So everything kind of got shelved until I got that out. Once I got back to this one I kept going back and forth on just how far I wanted to take Bonnie/Damon in this chapter, but I think I found a good balance. I hope everyone likes it.**

**Chapter 24**

It wasn't an unpleasant sensation, actually it was absolutely perfect. It was no secret that she ran hot, but after a night spent with Tyler inside her, the scales tipped towards scalding. So that coolness on her back, in such direct contrast to the heat of Tyler under her, was more than welcome. It was arousing.

There was no way he could not touch her, though it hadn't been his intention when he came into the bedroom. Damon had intended only to wake her up, get her to come with him, but that changed when he saw her. She was naked, the single sheet on the bed draped across her waist the same way she was draped across Fido's back. There was a large purpling bruise on her neck, the imprints of the dogs teeth barely faded. Damon struggled with his self-control, wanting desperately to lean over and sink his teeth into the graceful dip in her back. She was made to be marked, to bare _his_ mark.

"I know you're awake, Bonnie."

"Go away, Damon."

"Can't," He ran his hand down her spine, a caress that she arched into. "I need to talk to you. Come on, Stefan is meeting us in my room."

With an annoyed huff, Bonnie yanked the sheet up. Making sure Tyler remained covered, she clutched the sheet to her chest. "Stefan's not going to be in your room, because he doesn't roll over before the sun comes up. What's going on?"

"I got a visit from Klaus tonight."

"Oh my God, Damon." She reached for him instinctively, hand going to his face so her fingers danced over the sharp edges of his cheekbones. "He hurt you. Don't deny it," She began before he could wave the whole thing off. "You're hurting, I can tell. Here," She offered her wrist, didn't even have to think about it. Just wanted to fix him, ease the pain caused because of her.

Before the smirk could form, he sank his teeth into her wrist. She bit the wolf again tonight, several times actually. He could taste it in her blood. Damon wondered if she was even fully aware of what she was doing. Biting Tyler, marking him, doing every thing she could to prove her ownership. Wondered how much it frustrated her that every bite and scratch she put on him disappeared by morning.

"Thank you," He ran a nail over his thumb, drawing blood. "But it wasn't that bad."

His thumb ran across her lip and she was tasting his blood before she was fully aware of it, watched her wrist heal as if in a daze. But seeing her wrist completely unblemished cleared her mind so that her hand flew to her neck.

"Yeah," Now he couldn't help but to smirk. "Fido's pathetic little love bite is gone too. Now get your cute little ass up and let's go."

"Damon," Grabbing his arm, Bonnie pulled him back down to the bed. "Stefan's not going to be in your room. And beyond that, you can't keep this just between us. We're all in this together, remember."

"I never agreed to that. You, Stefan, and I, everyone else is superfluous. Bonnie," He framed her face in his hands, needing her to see how much he needed to protect her. "They can't protect you, they're just in the way now."

"Go to bed, Damon." She softened her words with a smile. "You're starting to talk crazier than normal."

"If you insist," He started to slide off his leather jacket. "Tell Fido to shove over."

"Get out, Damon." Tyler's muffled voice sounded from besides Bonnie.

"Well someone's never learned how to share."

Tyler hated waking up early. He'd never been a morning person and didn't see that changing any time soon. He figured Bonnie enjoyed early mornings because a part of her enjoyed being alone. Having that time to herself to think, to relax, to just be without anyone else interfering. She was good at being alone, with the exception of maybe Stefan, she was much better at it than the rest of them.

It was something Tyler never understood, never really tried to. He didn't like being alone. Made all sorts of mistakes just to avoid it. Which is probably why he never stayed sleep long after Bonnie left the bed anymore. It was like he couldn't sleep without her using him as a body pillow. His father had always insisted that what he felt for Bonnie would pass. That they'd move on, eventually grow out of their feelings. It didn't seem possible to him, as just the thought of it stopped the breath in his lungs.

The bed dipped and Tyler felt her weight settle over his thighs.

"Ty,"

The whisper of his name against his ear was followed by the light graze of her teeth. Even before he was fully awake, a smile curled Tyler's lips. "Bunny."

Though her intention had been to wake him up so they could talk before everyone else got out of bed, the feel of his hands running up her thighs was enough to distract her. He was laid out naked before her, like some kind of offering. She wasn't strong enough to deny herself. Stretching her body atop his, Bonnie rained kisses along his face. "Are you mine, Tyler?"

"Yes."

Something came awake inside her, darker than anything she'd known, roaring and destroying everything normal inside her. "Then say it. Tell me you're mine."

"Yours, Bunny." Gripping her hips, Tyler knew his fingers left bruises, but he was desperate for her. Always desperate to have her.

"Again."

"Yours."

Her teeth sank into his lip, drawing blood, pulling him deeper inside her. "Again."

"Yours."

Always, Bonnie thought before she took him fully inside of her.

"The best part of waking up is Bunny on my-"

Because her hands were occupied with tying her hair up in a ponytail, Bonnie cut Tyler's ridiculous song off with a sharp look. "Finish that and you'll never wake up with me on anything of yours again."

"Don't be mean." With a good-natured laugh, Tyler wrapped his arms around Bonnie's waist and practically carried her into the kitchen. "I wouldn't know what to do without my morning Bunny-love."

"Then it'll be in your best interest to stop making up songs after." Angling her head back, Bonnie kissed him lightly.

"Can't. But I'll try not to sing them around you." She cut him another look. "Or anyone else."

"Sometimes you make it really hard for me to remember why I'm with you." Pulling out of his arms, Bonnie shoved him into a chair.

"You can't think of one reason."

It was hard for Bonnie to keep the smile off her face, so she simply stopped trying. Looking at him now, the adorable smile on his face, hair sticking out in odd places, with the fading marks of her nails and teeth on his bare chest she thought she could list reasons for days. "Maybe one or two."

Tyler watched her quietly as she moved about the kitchen. He could tell something was bothering her, that she was working her way through telling him. The one thing Tyler had recognized, even as a child, was that Bonnie was not one to be pushed. She had to come to things in her own time, in her own way. "So, what's on the breakfast menu today?"

With the coffee pot set, Bonnie moved back across the room to Tyler. "I thought we could go out to breakfast."

Placing one hand on her hip, Tyler ushered her onto his lap. "Okay."

"Then we could go to the mall. I need sandals and the other day you said something about shorts."

Tyler nodded. "Okay."

"We could catch a movie, lunch too."

"Make a day of it." Cupping her face gently in his hand, Tyler waited until she was looking at him. "What ever you want, Bunny."

Why did he have to do this to her? Why couldn't she get a hold of her feelings for him? There was a tightening in her chest, a trembling pain around her heart. She couldn't lose him. Couldn't bare to go the rest of her life without those eyes. He was inside her now and she needed him like air. Tyler, her Ty, nothing or no one was more vital to her. More necessary to her day to day life.

"I love you. I love you so much, it scares me sometimes."

Seeing the tears gathering in her eyes, Tyler pulled her close. Held her as tight as either of them could stand. "I love you, too, Bunny."

"Than come away with me. We'll leave now, before everyone wakes up. Just put this fucked up town and the weird shit that happens here in the rearview."

Part of Tyler wanted to scoop her up and take off. It was a thought that occurred to him on more than one occasion. He loved the idea of having Bonnie to himself, away from Elena and Caroline, and all the other things that took her attention away from him. It may have been what he always wanted, but it wasn't what Bonnie needed. "You'd leave Elena and Caroline? Pack up without giving them so much as a goodbye?"

She could, to keep Tyler safe, she could do just about anything. But it would kill her, probably a little bit each day, to never see her two best friends again. And that Tyler knew, that he could forgo his own instincts for her, had Bonnie holding on to him tighter. "I need you safe and whole and with me always. Last night…Damon..." She buried her face deeper into the curve of his neck. Fought desperately against the urge to sink her teeth into the skin there. To bite down, mark him, as if showing ownership would keep the vampire away. "If anything happens to you-" All of Mystic Falls would burn. She wouldn't be able to stop herself.

"Alright," Unable to stand seeing her anymore upset than she already was, Tyler pressed a kiss to her brow. "I won't go chasing after Klaus. You want me glued to your side 24/7, you'll probably be sick of me within an hour, but I'll do it. We'll spend the day together."

"Just the day?"

"Rest of our lives if you want." He grinned wide, not entirely joking. "What do you say? Wanna get married?"

It wasn't that he said it, it was that she could see just how serious he was. What was worse, was that she would. At this very moment she'd drop everything and marry him. But more she didn't want it to be like this, when they were seventeen and stupid and afraid. "Should have said something earlier. Our day's all planned out now."

"Well it's going to have to be a day without me." Caroline practically yawned out as she stepped into the kitchen. "I've been neglecting my own boyfriend and that has to stop."

"No Caroline, ruining the moment every chance she gets" Tyler deadpanned. "My heart is breaking."

"Well, I have just the way to mend that." Damon supplied as he walked in, casually carrying Elena over his shoulder. Taking Elena from the bed was the only way he could think to get his brother up. "No one is going anywhere. We're in lockdown people. Lock. Down. Elena, up, you need to hear this." He gave her ass a none-to-gentle slap. What followed was a series of unintelligible sounds that could only be described as grunts. "What the hell?"

"She says she's going to whittle the stake to drive through your heart herself." Caroline provided gleefully.

"Cold-dead heart." Bonnie clarified.

"Really?" Damon didn't know whether to be more impressed with Elena's violent statement, or Bonnie and Caroline's ability to decifer it. With a good natured grin turned to his sleepy-eyed brother. "It's a violent one you got here, Stef." He passed Elena onto his brother.

"Other than being an obnoxious jackass," Stefan yawn as he set Elena on the island where she proceeded to curl up, and would likely go back to sleep. "Is there a reason you have us all up at Bonnie hours."

"Bite me, Stefan."

The statement was pure Tyler delivered with Damon's snark, and had Stefan turning to Bonnie with narrowed eyes. "Looks like someone beat me to it." His eyes narrowed on her neck, the various bite marks there. "Are the three of you still swapping blood?"

Damon gave a completely self-satisfied smirk as he lifted his cup of coffee to his lips. "Bonnie may have given me a little last night."

There was a low dangerous growl coming from Tyler that had Bonnie pressing closer to him. "He was hurt. Tell them Damon. Tell them about Klaus."

At this Elena's head came straight up, Stefan and Caroline stopping dead in their tracks. Then they all began talking at once, tossing a barrage of questions at Damon.

"This is why you were upset." Tyler shifted Bonnie's weight easily enough until she was straddling his lap. "Why you want to glue yourself to me? Because you're afraid something's going to happen to me."

"I'd do anything for you." Running her hands up his sides, Bonnie rested her brow against his. "Something happens to you…I wouldn't be able to control myself."

"Stop it!" Damon's voice cut through the questions, though his words were directed at the couple wrapped entirely in each other. "How can I ever tell you what happened if you don't let me speak?" He recovered quickly enough.

"Klaus," Stefan ran concerned eyes over his brother. "You saw Klaus last night."

"Son of a bitch came right up and introduced himself."

"And." Elena pressed.

"And," Damon made a motion with his head, as if weighing his words. "We're fucked."

The conversation started in the kitchen but somehow found it's way into the living room. Caroline and Elena occupying opposite ends of the couch, while Bonnie curled in one of the large leather chairs Tyler on the floor in front of her and Damon leaning over the back

"He…_compelled_ you." Elena spoke slowly, as if that would get her mind around the words. "He compelled _you_. He compelled you." They were fucked. So, unbelievably fucked.

"He made you stab yourself." Stefan paced the length of the room. "No, he compelled you to stab yourself. Why?"

"I think that's pretty clear, Stefan." Caroline answered. "That was obviously a 'look what I can make you do' type of thing. He wanted to freak us out. And look, I'm freaked."

"No," Stefan disagreed. "He could have had Damon do anything. Had him come in here and hurt one of us."

"Yeah, but how would we know that was Klaus' influence and not Damon," Bonnie reached back to give Damon's cheek a none to gentle pinch followed by a teasing slap. "Being Damon."

"How do we know he's not compelled now?" Tyler asked.

"You're an idiot." Damon shot over Bonnie's shoulder at Tyler.

"Shut up, Damon." Bonnie hooked her leg over Tyler's shoulder, which earned her a kiss on the inside of her knee from her boyfriend.

Stefan's eyes narrowed. "You three are still exchanging blood." He repeated his point from before Damon's announcement.

"He was hurt last night, because of me." And the way she spoke, as if her answer was the most natural one in the world, was what worried Stefan the most. The way Bonnie reached back to link her fingers with Damon's didn't help either. "What was I suppose to do."

"Where are the puncture wounds?"

Damon gave an all to self-satisfied smirk. "I may have returned the favor."

"But I'm going to assume that the hickey's on her neck are courtesy of Tyler," Caroline pointed out. "Why are they still there?"

"Because I had to put them back."

"Do you always bite her?" Stefan asked. "Bonnie, do you bite him?"

"Okay," Bonnie shot up in the chair, breaking contact with both the wolf and the vampire. "I don't demand to know what happens in your bedroom, so stay the hell out of mine."

"This is the problem," Stefan started to approach her, but the way Tyler and Damon both came on alert pulled him up short. "This is getting very dangerous, Bonnie. Tell me you understand that."

"What I understand is that you are stepping way the hell over the line of our friendship?"

"She's right, Stefan." Climbing off the couch, Elena crossed the room to stand between Stefan and Bonnie. "This is none of our business."

"Elena, every time they exchange blood, the bond between them gets stronger. The stronger the bond the higher the chances of Bonnie going completely batshit if anything happens to him."

"I hate to break this one to you, Stefan." Caroline began in a tone more casual than the situation called for. "She goes batshit now if someone looks at him wrong."

"Am I the only one aware of just how completely off the point we're getting." Bonnie demanded, the need to pace off her nervous energy getting the best of her. "Klaus can compel other vampires, which means he can probably compel me. Odds are good that all the other little tricks and rules we have for vampires don't apply to him. So, Tyler bites me, I bite him, we swing from the chandeliers, what does it matter? We have to figure out what Klaus wants. And if giving in to him is better then falling victim to Katherine. This is what we need to concentrate on, everything else is an unnecessary distraction."

"I know what Klaus wants. I also know he'll help us protect Elena from Katherine if we get it for him." To say he didn't just love the way they all turned to him with wide astonished eyes would have been an understatement. As far as Damon was concerned, too much time had been spent discussing things he'd rather not hear about. "Actually, he's planning on killing Katherine. So, bonus."

"Why didn't you say anything?" Stefan demanded.

"Because you were _way_ too preoccupied with getting the details on the fuck-fest that is Bonnie's relationship with Fido." He felt the force of Bonnie's magic at his back, causing him to stumble forward. "But Klaus was very forthcoming with information."

"That's not suspicious." Bonnie mumbled as she dropped onto the couch besides Caroline.

"He's probably thinking there's nothing we could do to stop him," Stefan explained. "So why not."

"Great," Tyler pulled himself up into the chair Bonnie vacated. "We're dealing with the fucking Bond villain of vampires. So what does he want? World domination? A diamond mine?"

Careless as to the time of morning, Damon poured himself a drink. "Nope, Bonnie. He wants her to open the tomb. Make him a few weapons." He downed his bourbon in one swallow, poured himself another. "Oh, and turn her. Apparently he wants a companion, almost like a kid, and thinks Bonnie will make a great one. And can I just say, I kind of called that one. The, Klaus not letting Bonnie go part. The kid thing..." He gave a derisive laugh, tried to ignore the churning in his gut. "Who saw that one coming, right?"


	25. Chapter 25

**I disclaim. I own nothing.**

**Chapter 25**

"Do I give off some kind of pheromone that makes vampires want to parent me?"

Caroline shook her head sadly. "And there's the sentence that's going to keep us from ever going back to being normal."

"Bunny," Tyler's voice was low and he was smiling despite himself. "When Damon said he wanted to be your daddy, I don't think parenting is what he had in mind."

"It's what I choose to believe." Bonnie mumbled as she stood to pace the room again.

"To be fair," Damon began as he settled into the corner of the couch. "He wants Elena, too. But I think that's more like a fuck you to Katherine. Like I can take someone who looks just like you and make her a better, badder vampire. Plus what better way to bond Bonnie to him, than to take her best friend."

"Wait," Stefan's brow creased in a thoughtful frown, his intense gaze going from Bonnie to Elena. "What did you just say?"

"Don't worry little brother he might want our girls but we won't let him get them, that plan was ours way before-"

"Not that," Stefan cut him off before Elena and Bonnie could look too deeply into that comment. "You said taking Elena would be a way to ensure Bonnie stays with him." His mind was working quickly. "It was a test, getting you to stab yourself was a test."

Noticing that her agitation grew whenever she moved away from Tyler, Bonnie made her way closer to him. Though she couldn't remain still. She wanted to touch him, hold him, have him hold her but there was too much nervous energy inside her. So she settled on pacing behind his chair, running her fingers over the back of his neck with each pass.

"What kind of test?" Elena wanted to know.

"He was testing Bonnie. When did you realize something was wrong with Damon?"

"When I looked at him, I could feel it."

"Would it be the same with Caroline and I?"

Bonnie made a restless movement with her shoulders. "Not really, the blood changes things. With Caroline, I'd have to be with her, be receptive to what she was feeling. With you, it would be like it was with Damon, before that night in the woods, kind of absent in a way."

"If that were Tyler…"

Bonnie chanced a look at Damon, knowing her words would hurt him, and not understanding the guilt she felt because of it. "Immediately. I'd have known the second it happened."

"Would you have to be with him?" Bonnie shook her head, but Stefan seemed to have been expecting that. "And Elena?"

Now the guilt doubled. The secret she and Elena had been keeping, though subconsciously, was coming back on them. Stefan wouldn't like that they were keeping something from him. Caroline would feel left out. And Tyler and Damon would just be upset she shared something with Elena that she didn't have with them. "I, uh, I would say almost, exactly the same. Not entirely, but you know, close enough. That makes sense, right?"

Elena nodded, almost a bit too enthusiastically. "Makes sense to me."

Stefan realized that Bonnie and Elena were acting a little too shifty for such a simple statement. "Bonnie."

"Dad."

Caroline, though she also realized there was something Bonnie and Elena wasn't saying, couldn't help but to laugh at Bonnie's petulant tone. "He does kind of talk to you like a scolding father."

"You should see the way he paces when she goes out at night." Coming up behind her boyfriend, Elena wrapped her arms around his waist. His body was so tense, she couldn't help but to tightened her hold a bit. "He'd tuck her in at night if he could."

"It's more a brotherly concern." Stefan argued. "It's her fault. She's doll-sized, can't help but to worry about her."

"Yeah, she's adorable." Damon waved the whole thing away. "Let's get back to Buffy and Willow's not at all subtle shifty eyes. What are you two hiding?"

"We're not hiding anything." But Elena moved away from Stefan and her stance immediately became defensive.

Feeling the guilt pouring off her in waves, Tyler turned to Bonnie. "Just tell us."

"The night of the party," Bonnie began to explain. Which is the night everything went even more pear-shaped than it already had been and Bonnie didn't think she could be held accountable for leaving out a few minor details considering everything else that happened. "I wanted to try something with Elena. I had been thinking," She began to address Stefan alone. "Ever since that day in the car, I couldn't stop thinking about the links; how and when I could have formed them. Grams always said Ty and I bonded that first day, I couldn't argue with it because that connection between us was always there."

"You're stalling, witch."

It took a moment, as Bonnie had to literally bite her tongue to keep from snapping at Damon, before returning her attention to Stefan. "Like I said, I started thinking, trying to figure out if I could recall exactly when things changed with everyone else. If I could pinpoint when the initial link was made. And when I did, or at least had a pretty good guess, I wondered if I could expand on it, you know. With Elena I thought, come to find out I was right, it was the night we got lost in the woods."

"We were ten," Elena picked up the story. "Care, you were sick, and not there to point out how bad an idea playing hide and seek in the woods was." Mainly because they would get their clothes dirty, but she'd have been the voice of reason. "We were so scared. But we did what Grams always told us, held on to each other."

"We kept repeating that poem to each other…I didn't know-"

"The poem worked as a spell." Stefan concluded. "You were young, unaware, so not in control of your magic. Your emotions were out of control, but mostly you were scared. Elena was scared, too."

"I remember feeling that change." Bonnie rubbed a fist over her chest, over the place she felt Elena for as long as she could remember.

"Me, too. I remember being scared that I'd be separated from Bonnie the same way we were separated from Tyler and Matt. Then I was sure, just absolutely sure we'd never be separated."

"This doesn't explain what you're hiding." Caroline snapped out. She'd always known there was something deeper between Elena and Bonnie than what she shared with either girl. And usually, especially lately, she was able to put it aside. It annoyed her to have it thrown in her face. "Can we get back to the night of the party?"

Bonnie wanted to explain to Caroline that a bond existed between them as well. But at this point it would be placating and not at all helpful. "The night of the party, I used the link. I had Elena tap into it, by remembering the night it was created, and I…"

"Elaborated on it." Elena finished, looking to the witch as if to double check her wording.

When Bonnie nodded, Stefan looked between them again. Though he loved both girls, he could admit that talking to them when they were together could honestly be the most frustrating experience in the world.

"Could you elaborate for the rest of us." Tyler demanded when it looked like both girls had finished their explanation.

"It seemed to me, that with vampire hearing being what it is, it would be a plus if we could communicate without being overheard."

"You can read each other's thoughts." Caroline near shrieked.

"I wouldn't say read each other's thoughts so much as communicate telepathically. But," Bonnie continued before anyone could say anything. "It's not like we do. Other than that night, we've hardly done it at all."

"Hardly?" Caroline stressed.

"Once or twice." Elena gave a careless shrug. "But, to put things into perspective, Caroline, you, Bonnie and I have such a good understanding of each other that we rarely have to say anything to begin with. So when Bonnie and I do happen to use our link it's more for…"

"Specifics." Bonnie finished.

"I don't like this." Damon pushed off of the couch. It was just another, stronger, connection she had to someone who wasn't him. It didn't matter that he was prepared to spend the rest of eternity sharing her with Elena to begin with, this was asking a little much of him. "Let's say something happens, we all get separated, the only people who would be able to tell if something happened to you are Tyler and Elena? We need something stronger…you need to make our bond stronger." As it was he couldn't feel her as strongly, wasn't as connected as he'd been after that initial exchange.

Bonnie shook her head adamantly. "I can't do that. I'm _not_ going to do that."

Realizing the tumbler in his hand was in danger of being crushed, Damon set it aside. "Why not?"

"Because she can't take anymore." Stefan answered for her. "The connections may be all to varying degrees, but she has one with each of us. She-"

"Stefan," Bonnie cut him off quickly, afraid he'd reveal too much to his brother.

"What?" Damon looked between Bonnie and Stefan, recognized that there was a secret between them as well. And this one hurt worse, much worse then the one she shared with Elena. Because this was Stefan and she had-

"It's not like that." Bonnie was quick to assure him. "I can practically see the way your mind is working. I love Stefan, but not that way. I wouldn't do that to Tyler or Elena. Hell, at this point I wouldn't even do that to you."

"Than tell me. Tell me what he knows about you that I don't."

"I can't."

Damon's eyes narrowed dangerously, despite Stefan being the one to share her secret, he found himself wanting to kill Tyler. An urge that was reinforced when Bonnie moved quickly to stand between him and the dog. "Does he know?" He pointed an accusing finger at Tyler.

There was no way to answer that correctly. At this point no way to appease Damon. So she said nothing, he was going to blow up one way or another. Bonnie didn't see the point in tipping the scales either way.

"Whatever you can tell Tyler," It was all Damon could do to keep from losing his temper. All he could do to not grab Bonnie, take her away somewhere, away from everyone. "Or _Stefan_." And that was one bitter pill to swallow. "You can tell me. I'd never do anything to hurt you. You know that."

"Damon," Bonnie approached him slowly, as she would a feral animal. Reaching out, she took both his hands in hers. She could feel the energy pulsing through him. Could feel his helplessness, his fear, his need to do something, anything. "This isn't about whether or not I think you would hurt me." Which she could admit, though it shocked her, she didn't believe he would.

"Then give me the benefit of the doubt. Didn't I do that when you insisted on telling Tyler and Elena what was going on? When you wanted to tell Caroline about us?"

Giving a displeased sigh, Bonnie couldn't keep from brushing a soothing hand over his cheek before backing away. "That was different."

"How?"

Not really having an answer, but tired of this entire conversation, Bonnie turned pleading eyes to Stefan. "A lot has happened this morning, can't we take a break from this for a bit."

When it looked like his brother was going to actually agree, Damon's temper finally snapped. "Take a break? No, we can't take a break, because this is real. It's happening, there is no break."

"Damon," Stefan protested weakly.

"She needs to get serious. We are _fucked_, okay. If you'd stop coddling her and try talking some actual sense into her, she'd realize that. But you know what, hey, fuck it. What do I know, maybe we should all just stay in fantasy land. That way when Klaus comes to kill the dog, blondie, and probably little Jeremy, because why the fuck not, our utter shock will lessen the blow."

"Fuck you, Damon." Bonnie shot back. There were too many emotions in the room, too much coming at her at once. Damon was the easiest to latch onto, his anger the easiest to take in and throw back. "But I'm handling this the best way I can. As tragic as it may seem, we can't all be Damon Salvatore. Going off half-cocked and making things worse. If you'd been paying attention, you'd realize there is no win here. We can open that tomb, kill every vampire inside while they're weak, make Katherine happy and piss Klaus off in the process. _Or_ we go with Klaus, open the tomb, and hope to maybe talk him out of wanting to play happy families with Elena and I. Which I don't see happening. But by all means lets focus on the fact that I'm not reacting to your liking, or that my bond to Elena is stronger than the one with you, or that I love Tyler or Stefan knows something about me that you don't. Those are all issues that just demand our attention."

"Bunny?"

Not wanting to be 'coddled' as Damon so nicely put it, Bonnie moved away from Tyler's comforting hands. Moved away from all of them. "I'm scared, okay. I'm scared and I don't know what to do. Because if I were to be honest, Klaus actually seems like our best bet. And the fact that I'm thinking along those lines scares the shit out of me. But he wants to kill Katherine and since she already came after us once, I don't really see how helping Klaus is a bad thing."

Recognizing the panic that was rushing through her best friend, Elena ignored the way Bonnie held out her hands as if trying to keep her away. Instead she grabbed the witch by her wrist and held her close. "We can't think like that. We'll come up with something, just don't give up. Please." She didn't know what to do if Bonnie gave up. Bonnie was the Ardelia, Elena didn't know if she could be Bonnie.

Shaking her head, Bonnie shook away Elena's words. "You know what scares me most, Elena?" _Not that he'll turn me, that he wants to keep me. It's that I know, for a fact, that when he turns me the first thing I'm going to do is turn everyone in this room who isn't already a vampire. And I'm afraid that when I do, you all will hate me._

Pulling Bonnie closer, Elena locked her arms around her best friend. Holding tight, but still not as tight as she wanted. "I'd never hate you. I couldn't. You're my best friend. My sister."

And what followed, through their link, unheard by anyone else had Bonnie breaking down in sobs in her best friends arms.

* * *

"Our ideas, I swear, just get worse and worse."

"Caroline thinks shopping is a bad idea. I don't even need a weather report to know that hell has indeed frozen over."

"First of all," Caroline leaned forward on the bench to glare at Elena. "I don't call spending half an hour in _Footlocker_ shopping. And two, that's not what I meant." What she couldn't figure out is why every time someone said imminent danger, they all left the house.

"We know what you mean." Bonnie assured her friend, but dismissed her all the same. "And we're not talking about it."

"No, _we're_" She pointed between herself and her two friends. "Not talking about it. The two of you can go over it all you want."

It was going to get worse, Bonnie held no illusions about that. How things could get worse-with both Damon and Caroline bitching at her- remained to be seen, but they hadn't hit bottom quite yet. The full moon was days away, which didn't help with Tyler already on edge. Stefan had gone quiet and nobody knew what the hell he was thinking. And Elena had dropped a bomb on her she knew full well her friend would follow through on. Everything had aligned to make this situation a thousand times worse.

"Matt's here," Bonnie mumbled, she couldn't really recall the last time she hung out with Matt. Thought today wouldn't be one for the record books, but was glad he was here to distract Caroline. And hated herself for using one friend to distract the other. "Hey, I'm going to get cookies. Anybody want?"

"I'll come with you." Elena offered as she glanced over her shoulder at Stefan and Tyler, couldn't figure out how they were still trying on shoes. Didn't know how she missed Stefan's sneaker obsession or if she hadn't and Tyler was adversely rubbing off on him.

"No," She just needed a moment, one moment, away from them. To breathe, to think. "I'll just be right there." Bonnie gestured toward the entrance, to the clear view of the cookie stand. _Elena, please. I'm sure Damon's lurking somewhere, it'll be fine. _

Elena gave a reluctant sigh. "Come right back."

"With cookies." Bonnie grinned as she made her way out of the store. She figured she had a good two minutes before Stefan and Tyler realized she was missing and flipped. Three before Damon gave up being pissed at her to yell about her being ridiculous and reckless. Everything was going to pot, she may as well have a chocolate chip macadamia nut cookie before it did.

He came up right besides her in line. She saw him from the feet up; black loafers, expensive jeans, and a dark green buttoned down shirt. "Hello, Bonnie."

Her heart skipped a beat, damn near stopped altogether, but Bonnie remained as calm as she could on the outside. "Klaus."

There was a something about him, a calmness that scared her in a way nothing had before. His voice was low, deep, deceptively soothing. And when he smiled, there was nothing menacing about it, he seemed honestly pleased with her.

"You know, I see you with him," Klaus' hand lifted to gesture absently to the store behind them. "And I can't help but think you can do so much better."

"You go near him and I'll-"

"Ah," He cut her off, slipping an arm around her waist to pull her closer. "That kind of language can't be used in a crowd. Take a walk with me, you'll get your cookie. I promise."

"That makes this all better." _Elena, he's here. _As Bonnie allowed him to lead her to one of the small tables running along side the wall, she hoped to God her best friend got her message to keep everyone back.

"I'm glad you agreed to sit down with me, Bonnie."

"I had a choice?"

He leaned across the small table, effectively shutting out everyone and everything around them. "Always. I'd never hurt you. Believe it or not, I want to help you. Protect you."

Her disbelief must have registered quite clearly on her face, because he smiled and continued on in a low calm tone.

"It's true. Really, what have I done so far to cause you any harm?"

The fact that he had a point was what worried her. He compelled Damon, sure, but he could have killed him. Could have compelled Damon to hurt one of them. But he hadn't. "Why? Why would you protect me? Just to get me to open the tomb?" Although Bonnie had to admit she much preferred his way of doing things as compared to Katherine.

"Not just. The truth is Bonnie, you are the image of someone I once held very dear to me."

Bonnie frowned at this, not being able to picture anyone on the Bennett side she even held a fleeting resemblance to.

"You know, the Bennett branch is not the only one on your family tree. I knew the Linnet side."

It felt as if all the air had been sucked from her lungs. "Linnet? You…did you know my mother?" She hated that desperate ting to her voice. Hated that even now she was eager for even the smallest bit of information regarding a woman who so completely disregarded her.

"I did. I cared for her, expected great things from her. But she was weak, of will of mind. When she left you, I was disappointed, but I was still sorry when she died."

And again, Bonnie found herself believing him, hearing and accepting the hint of sorrow in his voice. Because it was more than she ever heard from her father. Her father rarely spoke of her mother and when he did, it was in such a dismissive tone one would have never guessed he shared a life and a child with the woman.

"I don't look like her."

"No, but your grandmother, with too many greats to count. Her name was Cicile and I loved her once, which is why I promised to look after her family. Look after you. She saw you, as Emily had."

"Well, you rank right up there with my other vampire protector."

"Not true. Salvatore has tried to rip you and your boy apart. And that's the absolute last thing I want."

"What?"

"Cicile saw you, in a ring of fire with a large beast at your feet willing to fight and die for you. As a vampire I was intrigued, very intrigued by a young girl who could control the very thing that could kill me. It wasn't until I arrived here, that I observed you, that I realized you can't control all wolves, just him."

"I don't control him. Stop saying it like that, making it sound as though-" Tyler didn't really love her. As if he was only with her because of something she'd done with her magic. She couldn't bare that, simply couldn't.

"But that's not what I mean at all. Bonnie, have you ever wondered why you don't see Tyler's father roaming around as the wolf, why Tyler only spoke of him changing during the full moon."

She hadn't and it wasn't until now that she realized she should have.

"He can only turn during the full moon, just like all other wolves. With the exception of Tyler. Because he imprinted on you, chose you, and had you accept and bond with him in return it makes him stronger. So much stronger than all the others, you make him stronger. He'd be stronger still if he allows the wolf to claim you."

"What do you mean, let his wolf claim me?" Bonnie had thought it was the wolf that imprinted on her, the wolf that started all this to begin with.

"It's the reason you get so possessive, so territorial. The wolf is reacting through you. There's no doubt that you've accepted Tyler, belong to him full out. But I'm will to bet he's never bitten you during the full moon, probably doesn't even allow himself to be inside you. I'm sure it's only a matter of time before he can no longer continue to hold back and when he finally does give in, he'll be stronger. He'll make you and the bond you have stronger. Which is why keeping him alive and close to you is important to me."

"So, you won't hurt him. You promise you won't hurt him."

"Bonnie," He placed his hand gently over hers. "I'd never hurt you or take him from you. I'm not Damon, I would never take anything from you that you love."

Just as she was beginning to relax, Bonnie's eyes narrowed dangerously. "What are you talking about?"

"Ask him." Klaus' head tilted ever so slightly to the side. "For now you need to go, get back to Tyler. Katherine's coming."


	26. Chapter 26

**I disclaim. I own nothing.**

**Chapter 26**

The crazy bitch actually started a massacre. Just waltz into the mall and let loose. Bonnie was right, Damon had been lurking about. Following her out to the cookie stand, reluctantly hanging back as she talked to Klaus. He hadn't like the way things had looked to be heading, Bonnie was clearly buying everything royal vamp was telling her. And Damon had to admit the son of a bitch was actually seriously convincing. Didn't hurt that he rushed Bonnie back to Stefan and Tyler, before calmly walking through the crowd taking out Katherine's pathetic cronies.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Damon demanded as he approached Bonnie and the others.

"Now is not the time, Damon." Stefan warned. "We need to get out of here. Get Caroline and Matt. I'll take Elena. Bonnie and Tyler go together."

"No," Damon refused to budge on this. Refused to leave Bonnie's safety in the hands of the mutt. "I'll take Bonnie."

"Damon," Elena spoke his name warningly. "We can't get into this now, we have to go. Now."

"Than Stefan can take Matt and Caroline. You go with Tyler. And I'll take Bonnie."

"Guys!" Caroline shouted when it looked like they were seriously going to have this argument while crazed vampires raced through the mall. And that was not a conversation she was prepared to have with Matt, as it was he was looking seriously confused. Any minute now he was going to start asking questions no one wanted to answer. "We don't have-"

It all happened so fast. Faster even than Damon's eyes could see. A blur of movement, Bonnie being spun around, Tyler reaching out to grab her, but she only fell into his arms, the wound in her stomach bleeding profusely. Stefan didn't even seem to think, simply snatched the little witch up and raced her out of the mall, Tyler was right on his heels.

Damon seemed frozen in place. Seeing only Bonnie's blood and wanting desperately to go after her. But for the first time, maybe ever, Damon didn't think about what he wanted. He thought about what she would have wanted from him. Elena and Caroline, their safety. She'd never forgive herself, or him, if anything happened to them.

Making a quick decision, Damon hit Matt in the face, knocking the kid out and slinging his unconscious body easily over his shoulder. He grabbed Elena's hand, nodded towards Caroline. "You two hold on to each other."

"Bonnie." Elena was sheet white, pupils blown wide, and the last thing Damon needed was for her to go into shock.

"You're connected to her, you're bonded."

"I can't…she's so far away…"

Damon couldn't think about what that meant. "Let's go."

It took no time at all to get out of the mall, Damon had the uncomfortable feeling that Klaus had a little something to do with that. They actually spent more time at Matt's house, trying to figure out what to do with him. In the end they decided to wipe the whole day from his mind. He was sure on any other day Caroline would have struggled a bit more with that, but Bonnie had been stabbed, and Caroline's heart and mind was with her best friend.

When they got back to the boarding house, the three of them headed immediately for Bonnie and Tyler's room. Stefan was still there, pacing the floor. Bonnie was curled up in the wolf's lap, Fido was holding on to her for dear life.

"Bonnie!" Caroline and Elena both cried, ignoring Tyler all together and climbing into the bed to wrap the witch in their arms.

"You have to fight me on everything." Stefan demanded of his brother the moment he set eyes on Damon. "Take Caroline and Matt, you couldn't just do that. You couldn't just do what was asked of you."

Damon's eyes flashed, it was bad enough knowing that it was Stefan's blood that saved Bonnie, he'd be damned if he was going to be lectured. "You saying this is my fault."

"I'm saying you're once again doing a piss poor job of protecting her."

"We were all there."

"And you were the only one arguing with the plan and holding us up."

"She was the one sitting down with the fucking enemy." Damon blew up. "And you can bet your ass, she clued Elena in on that through their little bond."

"We all knew." Tyler growled. "Klaus didn't do this. It was Katherine, we killed up a whole bunch of that bitch's people, and this was payback." His arms tightened around Bonnie. "I'm going to rip out her fucking throat."

"Really, Fido." Damon's face was the picture of disbelief. "You couldn't even stop this."

"Leave him out of this." Bonnie spoke softly. Because she felt crowded both inside and out, she pushed Caroline and Elena away before pulling out of Tyler's arms. Now Stefan's blood coursed through her system. She felt like opening a vein to get him out. "We screwed up. _I_ screwed up. But I'm done being scared, I'm done doing…" She gestured around the room. "_this._" Because she couldn't take something else going wrong, somehow taking another one of them on. Her skin was actually beginning to crawl, her head pounding. This had to be over. She needed this to be over. "Klaus is not our enemy.'

"You have got to be kidding me." Damon spoke what was written clearly on everyone's faces.

"What he said to me today, it was the truth. He wasn't lying."

"He was playing you." Damon stressed. "Getting into your head."

"You played me, you've been playing me. If he wanted to hurt me, wanted to break me, he could have." She pointed to the bed where Caroline, Elena, and Tyler still sat. "My weakness. It's clearly no secret, that I'd do absolutely anything for them, anything to keep them safe."

"And he used that Bonnie," Why couldn't she see that like he did? Seeing how she reacted to Katherine's threats, it was clear that Klaus was going a different route. "Told you they were safe from him to get you on his side."

"_He _never said one thing to me that was a lie. He knew what Tyler would be to me before either of us were born, he sees what he means to me now. He promised never to take him from me."

Elena eased off the bed. "And you believed him."

"I did. I do." Bonnie gave Elena a nod before turning her gaze towards Damon. "He said, that unlike Damon, he'd never take anyone from me that I love. What did he mean by that?"

"How the hell should I know?" It was Damon's turn to pace nervously. "Klaus is your new best friend, ask him."

"I'm asking you." And in just a moment, they all aligned themselves against him. Tyler and Caroline climbing off the bed to stand besides Bonnie just as Elena and Stefan had. If he lied, she'd know. If he lied, she'd make him tell her the truth. There was no happy ending to this. There was only an end. "You know."

"Tell me."

"I didn't take anything from you." Damon pointed out. "I gave you…everything. This," He made a gesture that encompassed all of them. "Is your family."

"My father." It was what she hadn't allowed herself to believe. Hadn't dared get her hope up about. "How?"

"Sean Bennett," The man hadn't earn the right to be called a father. "Is a creature of habit, always has been. Every night, every movement is just the same. I waited until he took off both his watches. Then-"

"You compelled him." Bonnie finished. "You compelled him to give me up, to leave me."

Damon shook his head. "I compelled him to sign the papers, to call Elizabeth. Then I compelled him to forget about you completely."

For a moment she couldn't breathe, couldn't think past the ache in her chest. Her father didn't give her up, didn't toss her aside like she never mattered. "Why? Why would you-"

"For you, Bonnie." Damon answered simply. Quietly. "I did it for you. Everything I've done, since Sheila's funeral, has been for you."

"Everything you've done," Bonnie began. "Since I've known you, has been for _you_, Damon. You made me think my father…my own father didn't want me. How can you claim to love me and hurt me that way?"

"I do love you." Damon argued. He reached for Bonnie, causing her to lash out with her magic. She sent him slamming into the wall.

"Even if I believed that, I wouldn't want your kind of love. It's destructive, it's twisted, and nothing good could possibly come from it."

"Bonnie-"

"I hate you." And she made sure the truth of it was in her eyes. "Stay away from me."

"What were you thinking, Damon?"

Giving his brother a look that spoke of just how _not _in the mood he was for this conversation, Damon remained on his bed and flipped idly through his book. "I thought there was a very strict knocking policy in this house."

"There's also a strict no killing spree policy as well. And we all know that's your number one method of dealing with things."

"You really are adorable little brother."

"You're hurt."

"I'm pissed." Damon corrected.

"No," Stefan shook his head. "You're hurt. You don't think I know that you really do love her."

With a look of complete exasperation, Damon set his book aside. "Haven't I been saying as much for months now."

"But that's not how you've been acting." Stefan pointed out. "You were acting like you wanted her for no other reason than because she didn't want you." When his brother simply rolled his eyes, Stefan changed his approach. "You know why I got Bonnie out of there so fast today?"

"Because she's your friend and she was hurt." Damon commented snidely. "Also a little because you always have to be the hero. It makes you feel pretty."

"It does make me feel pretty." Stefan deadpanned. "Also because Bonnie is my friend. But another part, a selfish part I'm not entirely proud of did it for myself. Because of Elena. Because it would kill Elena if something happens to Bonnie. Because I know if Elena loses Bonnie, it'll only be a matter of time before I lose Elena as a result."

"Your point."

"You saved Elena and Caroline, by extension Matt, because you now what it would have done to Bonnie if something happened to them."

"Doesn't matter now, though, does it." Impatient Damon tossed his book aside.

"No, it doesn't." Stefan agreed. "You took away her father, Damon. She'll likely never forgive you for that."

"You should consider a job as a grief counselor, Stef."

"What did Klaus say to Bonnie?"

"He said everything a frightened seventeen year old girl wanted to hear." Damon slid off the bed, absently picking up the tumbler of whiskey that sat on the bedside table. "He knew her mother, loved her mother, disappointed her mother abandoned her. He wants to protect her, wants her to have Tyler. Promised not to hurt a hair on the mutt's head." He brought the tumbler to his lips, paused before taking a sip. "He did me, even better than I ever thought." He took a sip of whiskey, imagined it was Bonnie's blood. "He planted something in her head."

Stefan frowned. "What?"

"I didn't realize until just a bit ago. He put it in her head, that she and Tyler would be stronger if she got Fido to bite her."

Confused, not at all sure what he was missing, Stefan shrugged. "Tyler _has _bitten her. Klaus should have been able to smell it all over her."

"No, he wants Fido to bite her while he's the wolf or at least while the wolf is in control."

"Why?"

The fact that he had no fucking idea is exactly what was bothering Damon. "I don't know. But as long as that's what Klaus wants, we have to make sure it doesn't happen."

"What do you want me to do, Bunny?"

It was several hours later. Bonnie spent the remainder of the day locked away in their bedroom. It had not been an easy day. Tyler tried not to think of just how close he came to losing her. Tried not to see the way her blood stained his hands, the way the smell lingered in his nose. He hadn't thought it could get any worse. But she was hurting now, hurting so he didn't know what to do.

"I'll do whatever you want."

"Don't go out tonight." Bonnie sat up so that she was facing him on the bed. "Stay with me." She scooted closer, sitting so that she was practically in his lap. Her fingers found their way into his hair. "Stay _in _me."

"Bunny," Tyler had to grip her hips to keep her from moving in closer. "I'll stay with you. But sex…I don't think that's a good idea."

"Please, Ty." She pressed her mouth to his before moving along his chin, down his neck. "I nearly died today. I felt so far away from you…I couldn't stand it. It scares me just to think about it." Straddling his waist, she shoved him back onto the bed. Her mouth working across his chest, down his stomach. "I need to feel close to you."

"Bunny," Tyler protested. The wolf was so close to the surface, he was surprised she didn't hear the growl in his chest. Her mouth kept traveling lower, his fingers tangled in her hair and he had every intention of stopping her. But then her hands took hold of the waistband of his shorts. For every inch lower his shorts went, her mouth followed. "Oh…Oh God…"

Bonnie wasn't entirely confident in her movements. For everything she and Tyler had done, this was not one of them. But she wanted to do this, wanted to taste him, enjoy him the way he enjoyed doing this to her.

By the time she took him in her mouth, Tyler had bit his lip bloody to maintain some semblance of control. He knew the hold he had on her was too tight, that any second now he wouldn't be able to keep himself from thrusting into her mouth, but he couldn't let her go.

"Ty, please. I need you inside me."

Unable to hold himself back, Tyler kept one hand locked in her hair, while the other grabbed roughly at her arm to pull her up onto the bed.

His eyes were no longer brown, but the tawny gold of the wolf. Though it excited her to see him this way, there was some part of Bonnie that was afraid. There was no doubt in her mind that Tyler would never do anything to hurt her. But she was aware that something was happening here, something that was going to change everything.

Tyler had never experienced anything like this before, so different from when he was the wolf, but not entirely unfamiliar. He was aware of moving, aware of touching Bonnie, of flipping her over onto her stomach. But he wasn't fully in control of actually doing it. His hands raced over her, ripping her clothes from her body, breathing in her scent and allowing it to fill him. His body hunched over her, his mouth closing over her shoulder. Then he was inside her. The wolf howled.

Then it was over. Bonnie's taste, her warmth, her tightness. It was all gone. And he was looking into the angry black eyes of Daman Salvatore

Bonnie wasn't sure what was happening. Nothing had made sense for hours now. She'd been afraid, disconnected, unsure. The knife had pierced her skin, plunged into her stomach. The pain had been excruciating. Feeling Tyler and Elena slipping away from her unbearable.

Then they were back, they were all back, with Stefan, and it wasn't better. Because it was too much. Then she learned a hard truth, became aware of just how far she let Damon in, when she realized he could break her heart. The six of them had become a family, a family he broke. Just as he'd broken the last one she had.

Being with Tyler, that was the only thing that made sense. No matter whatever else was happening in her life, Tyler always made sense. So she wanted…had to be with him, all of him. Hated the thought that there was a part of himself that he was holding back from her. Klaus' words playing in her head; she wanted to belong to all of him, the way he belonged to all of her.

When she saw the wolf in his eyes, she'd been afraid, but she'd been ready. Because she knew Tyler, no part of what he was would hurt her. And he was inside her and she was whole. Then suddenly he was ripped away.

Scrambling up on the bed, she pulled the sheet up to wrap around her body even as she screamed at Damon to stop. She used her magic, throwing them apart, sending them hurling violently into different sides of the room. Moving quickly she went to Tyler.

"What is wrong with you?" She demanded of Damon. She reached for Tyler but he flinched away from her. "Ty." But it was the wolf, she didn't have to look at Damon to know what she would see.

They were both gone, so very far gone. The wolf and the vampire were locked in battle and the witch's emotions were too erratic for proper control.

By the time Stefan got there the room was in chaos. Elena tried to run in behind him, but he pushed her out. The two men were throwing each other around, Bonnie was throwing both of them. Going immediately to the witch, Stefan's arms went around her shoulders. "Bonnie, stop."

"They're going to kill each other."

"I'll stop them. I'll-" Stefan broke off when Tyler shoved roughly at Damon and turned those gold eyes on him. Knowing what the wolf saw, Stefan pulled his arms quickly from around Bonnie. "Tyler…" He stepped in front of her, that only seemed to make matters worse.

It happened so fast, Damon hopped to his feet rushed at Tyler even as Tyler rushed at Stefan.

The violent red haze that had blinded him, the rage that had been so strong it hurt as in pumped through his veins, the need to kill and protect that he'd been feeling since he was pulled from Bonnie was suddenly gone. Tyler's eyes went from gold to brown and it was Stefan who noticed first.

Tyler scrambled away from the pile as Elena's scream cut through the air. Stefan held Damon back, shaking his brother until his black eyes bled blue. The door flew open, Stefan left his brother broken and confused on the floor as he went to Elena. But she pushed out of his arms. Stefan knew neither she nor Caroline saw him.

All either girl saw was their best friend small and lifeless in a sobbing Tyler's arms.


	27. Chapter 27

**I disclaim. I own nothing.**

**AN: Okay this may be one of my favorite chapter, because for me the entire story has been leading here. When I first started writing this, there were certain scenes that came to my mind. Damon's line of 'I'm her daddy, now.' The bloodsharing scene between Damon, Bonnie, and Tyler in the woods, the flashback scenes of Bonnie, Grams, and Tyler. This entire chapter. And the last paragraph of the fic, which is already written. So I really hope everyone enjoys this, even if it is kinda short.**

**Chapter 27**

It was like surfacing, like she'd been submerged under water and was coming up for her first breath in a long time. She heard her friends, their voices raised in anger, so loud it was like they were shouting directly into her ear. Everything…_everything_ was just so…_strange. _She didn't understand how things could be seem so off without even having opened her eyes.

"We go in there and we pour it down her throat."

"Elena, I know she's your best friend, but we can't make that decision for her. It has to be Bonnie's choice."

"Don't say choice like there's an abundance of options. There's only one _choice_, Stefan."

"As much as it pains me to say this, Elena, Stefan's-"

"Shut up, Damon."

"Elena." Bonnie spoke the other's girls name softly, than again through their bond.

"She's up. Tyler, she's awake, come on."

Pulling herself up from the bed, Bonnie frowned at the dark room she found herself in. No not room, cell. She was in a cell. Confused, wired in a way she didn't truly understand, she stumbled out of the room into a equally dark, unwelcoming hall. There she was greeted with the sight of her friends all watching her with weary eyes.

"Bonnie?"

So close, Elena's voice sounded like it was blown out of a cannon and into her ear. There was just so much noise. The water in the pipes, the wind through the cracks, the settling of the foundation. She could hear, would swear she could hear the blood pumping through her friends veins. That's when it hit her, the realization of the fear displayed clearly on their faces.

"Bonnie?" Elena spoke her name again, this time more quietly.

Dread and fear weighed heavily in her stomach. Bonnie glanced towards the door to the room-no cell, it was truly a cell-she just stumbled from. She took a step back, Elena must have read her intention in her eyes.

"Bonnie, please. Please, don't do this. You have to-"

Before Elena could say it, before Bonnie could allow herself to consider her friend's words she ducked back into the cell and slammed the door.

Elena hit the door just as it closed. "Open the door, Bonnie. I mean it, open the door right now. Think about what you're doing."

"Go away, Elena." She backed away from the door. "There's nothing to think about."

"Bunny."

Tyler's voice came from the other side of the door. So soft, so full of everything he felt for her. It hurt. Hurt to hear his voice, his heartbeat. To love him and know she had to leave him. To know she'd never have him, hold him, kiss him again. "Ty."

"We should leave them alone." Stefan murmured, leading everyone back up the stairs.

It was surprising to everyone but Stefan, that Damon was the one who stood so firmly against Elena.

"You can't make this choice for her."

Caroline sat curled into herself, hurt and confused. She wanted what Elena wanted, her best friend in anyway. But she knew what Damon said was the truth. It was a nightmare, a complete nightmare that there was no waking up from.

"Okay, let's all stop saying choice." Elena paced the room. "Bonnie here or Bonnie gone; what choice is there to make."

"And that's for Bonnie to decide." Damon spoke quietly, gently. "Only Bonnie knows if she can live like this. Drink blood, watch everyone she knows grow old and die. If she becomes a vampire, she becomes the very thing that's stamped into her DNA to hate. She may decide she can't do it." And it tore him up. Hurt him in a way he couldn't close himself off to.

"No." Elena didn't think she could explain to them the fear that shook her to her very soul. Bonnie was more than her best friend, more than her sister. If she lost Bonnie, she would lose a part of herself. "Just let my best friend desiccate. To cease to exist. I won't allow it."

"You may have to."

The look Elena sent Damon was so raw, so full of hurt and anger it had Stefan taking a step back. "This is your fault." She practically spit the words out at him. "You couldn't leave them alone. You couldn't just deal with the fact that she didn't want you. Grams is dead because of you. Bonnie's dad is gone because of you. And now this. This...nightmare, is all because of you."

No one could believe what Elena was saying. She'd been the main one in Damon's corner after the events in the tomb, the main one trying to ease Bonnie out of the hate she felt for the blue-eyed vampire. She'd also been very firm in her belief that Sean Bennett was as shit a father as one could be and Bonnie was better off without him. Elena had always been the one to consider Damon's feelings and try not to say anything that would upset him. That these words were coming from her proved just how much she was suffering.

"If she…if I lose Bonnie." It seemed to physically hurt Elena to say the words. "I will never forgive you."

Damon couldn't help but to wonder if he was the only one who heard 'if Bonnie dies, I'll kill you myself'.

"I'm opening the door, Bunny." Tyler's voice was still whisper soft. "I'm coming in."

It was selfish, it was in direct contradiction of the decision she'd made, but Bonnie said nothing as Tyler pushed the door open. If this was all they had, their last few hours together, it wouldn't be through a door.

He stepped inside, approaching her cautiously, not because he was afraid of her. But because he was afraid _for _her.

"You're closing yourself off from me." Bonnie's voice was as soft as his.

Tyler lowered himself to the floor so that he sat across from her. Elena had looked at him with what he could describe as utter disgust. Even without her saying it, he knew she was waiting for him to open a vein and pour his blood down Bonnie's throat. He understood that this was hard for her, that she didn't want to lose her best friend. She expected his support. Tyler had remained quiet because he didn't how to explain to her.

He loved Bonnie. He loved her as a baby, loved her as smug a twelve year old, and loved her as a teenage witch. There was no doubt in Tyler's mind he'd love her as a vampire. But what he couldn't do, what he wouldn't do, was love her as a memory.

"The choice is yours, Bunny. I can't have what I feel influence you." They were forever tied. His fate would be no different from hers. "What do you want me to do?"

Instead of answering, Bonnie closed the distance between them. Pulling his arms apart she crawled into his lap before closing them around her small frame. "I love you."

Burying his face in her hair, Tyler inhaled deeply. "I love you."

"I don't know how I'm suppose to do this, Bon." Caroline couldn't look at Bonnie. Not because of what she was, but because of what it would mean. She couldn't look at her best friend knowing it would be the last time. "How am I suppose to say goodbye to you?" Caroline didn't have to see Bonnie to know the surprise that had registered on her face. "I know you."

"It's the right choice." Bonnie mumbled into Tyler's shoulder. "The only choice."

Caroline didn't know about that. They were suppose to graduate together. Go to college together. They were all going to fall in love, get married, and become godparents to each other's children. Elena falling in love with a vampire only dampened part of that plan, but all the rest was still a go. At least it had been.

Bonnie was a vampire now. But even that hadn't deterred Caroline's train of thought. But then they explained that Bonnie would have to feed before the sun came up again. And Caroline knew, as had everyone else, that Bonnie wouldn't do it. By this time tomorrow Bonnie would be gone. And nothing would be the same.

Elena stood in the doorway watching them for a long time. She didn't care what anyone else thought, didn't care how selfish they believed her to be. This wasn't going to end with her best friend withering away from her. She knew Caroline and Stefan had been down already. She imagined they thought they were saying goodbye. Elena thought they were giving up.

"The stalking in the doorway thing is getting creepy."

Elena rolled her eyes at Tyler's annoyed tone. She still hadn't forgiven him. "Bonnie, I need to talk to you."

"I don't think-"

"Please."

Surprisingly it was Tyler that intervened, telling Bonnie she needed to have this conversation. Even more surprising the wolf placed a kiss on his girlfriend's temple before getting to his feet and leaving the two of them alone.

"I never should have taught him to block me." Bonnie moved back against the wall. "I don't know where he is in all of this."

"Don't be ridiculous." Much as Tyler had before, Elena sat across from her friend. "Grams loved to tell the story, everyone knows it. Tyler's loved you since he was, like, eight months old. Of course you know where he is on this. I know where he is on this. Everyone knows."

They sat quietly for a long while. Bonnie wouldn't look at her. Elena wouldn't look away. At some point, they found their hands locked together. The witch's hand was cold, Elena couldn't recall a time when Bonnie's hands were cold.

"I've known you since I was three years old. There's not a single memory I have that doesn't include you in some way. I don't-" Feeling the tears welling up in her eyes, Elena paused. "I don't know how to make new ones without you."

"I'm scared, Elena." Bonnie confessed. "I'm scared of holding on, scared of letting go. What if there's nothing else? What if this is it?"

Elena clutched tightly to her best friend's hands. "Than feed, Bonnie. You don't have to let go."

"You know why I have, too. I'll turn-"

"I don't care." Elena snapped. "Turn me"

"I can't ask that of you."

"You didn't." Elena took a few moments to collect herself. Bonnie had to see that she wasn't hysterical, that she wasn't just allowing her emotions to decided for her. "I wouldn't let you live an eternity without me. " Those were the words she spoke through their link just the day before and had Bonnie shaking her head furiously. "I didn't just say that so you could feel better about wanting to turn us."

"Elena-"

" '_What friendship is, Ardelia shew?'_" Elena whispered the words softly, tears flowing freely down her cheeks.

Bonnie's own tears were falling freely and unchecked. They were the words that forged their bond, the words that defined their friendship. " _'Tis to love, as I love you.'_"

With a sad smile, Elena framed Bonnie's face in her hands. " _'What is friendship when complete'_"

Bonnie knew the words Elena was looking for, but found herself reciting the entire passage. " _'Tis to share all Joy and Grief; tis to lend all due relief from the tongue, the heart, the hand; tis to mortgage house and land; for a friend be sold a slave…Tis to…'_" The words lodged in her throat, weighed heavy on her still heart, until Elena squeezed her hands and they spoke the words together.

" '_Tis to die upon a grave, if therein a friend do lie'_"

Saying nothing, knowing there was nothing more to say, Elena offered her best friend her wrist. By the time Stefan reached them it was too late as Bonnie had already swallowed several mouthfuls of Elena's blood.


	28. Chapter 28

**I disclaim. I own nothing.**

**AN: I'm sorry it's taken so long to get this chapter up. The story is nearing the end and I'm struggling a bit with it. I don't want to drag it out, but I don't want it to seem abrupt. I won't say how many chapters are left because I don't want to scramble to stick to what I say. I'm gonna try to do better. Hopefully the next update won't take as long.**

**Chapter 28**

"What the hell were you thinking?" The smell of blood, the sight of another vampire at Elena's wrist, had Stefan's eyes bleeding black. "She could have killed you."

"Could have, but she didn't." Elena snatched out of Stefan's grasp. "And I was doing what none of you would. Saving her. I wasn't just going to let my best friend die."

"Elena," Damon spoke her name sadly as he gazed back and forth between the two girls. "You shouldn't have done that."

"Bunny?" Framing her face in his hands, Tyler tilted her head back. Her eyes were bleeding from black to green. Blood, Elena's blood, staining her chin. And she was gone. So very far gone. "Bunny, come on baby, look at me." And she did slowly, the green taking over the bloody black.

"Was it enough?" Caroline asked, earning glares from the Salvatore brothers. "What? She did it now, it shouldn't be for nothing."

"You all should leave." Damon shared a look with Stefan. A freshly turned vampire in a room full of hot blooded humans, one of them bleeding, was going to turn ugly very fast.

Stefan grabbed both Elena and Caroline's arms, pulling them out of the room, but Tyler didn't move away from Bonnie.

"I'm not leaving." That he could still feel her, that the bond between them hadn't changed, was all the proof that Tyler needed to know that, no matter what, he and Bonnie belonged together. "I won't leave her alone."

"I wasn't asking wolf."

Damon reached for Tyler, snapping Bonnie out of whatever trance she had been in. Quick as a flash her hand caught hold of Damon's wrist and with a combination of magic and preternatural strength she sent him flying. Her eyes had bled black, sharp teeth prominently on display.

"I told you before to never touch him." Her voice was a low growl unlike any of them had ever heard before. "No one touches him."

"I'll be alright." Tyler assured them. "Just leave us alone. It'll be okay."

Stefan wasn't too sure of much, things were spinning rapidly and dangerously out of their control. But what he knew, what he was near positive of, was that Bonnie would never hurt Tyler. His impatience and anger at the entire situation had him shoving Caroline and Elena none-to-gently out of the room. "Let's go, Damon."

"She needs to be-"

"Not now." Stefan snapped at his brother. At this point there were two people currently in the room that he was sure Bonnie would never hurt. And Damon was not one of them. "Come on."

Damon was reluctant, but eventually pushed himself to his feet. "Fine."

"What the fuck were you thinking?" Stefan demanded of Elena.

He stood, still as a statue, in front of the fireplace. Damon pacing behind him. Caroline had lowered herself onto the couch, feeling as if years had passed in the space of a few hours. Elena stood tall and unwavering across the room. It was clear in her eyes that nothing they said to her was going to convince her the decision she made was the wrong one.

"Did you really think I was going to sit back and do nothing?"

"No, we foolishly thought you'd listen to reason." Damon bit out, growing more agitated by the minute.

"Let Bonnie die, that's reason to you?"

"Elena," Stefan softened his tone, hands coming together as they always did when he was trying to reason with someone. "I know what you were feeling. Bonnie is as much a sister to you as Damon is my brother. Because I loved him, because I couldn't stand the thought of not having him with me, I tempted him into a life he didn't choose."

"And you see where that's gotten us." Damon quipped.

"It's not entirely the same though," Caroline began slowly, still weary of Damon. And not at all sure of how he would react in his current state of mind. "Is it? I mean, from what I understand, Damon was all wrapped up in his love for Katherine and not being with her."

"But the point is still the same, blondie. Bonnie," Damon began slowly, as if talking to a particularly dimwitted child. "Did not want to be a vampire. And yet she is, because of Elena's selfishness."

"Don't you dare stand there and act as if you know what Bonnie wants." Elena snapped out. "You don't know her, not like I-" She broke off looking at Caroline. "We do. And what I know is that she was afraid. She was afraid of dying. She didn't want to die. But-"

"She needed to know it was okay." Caroline picked up, realization dawning. "That if she became a vampire we wouldn't hate her or think less of her or be afraid of her. She needed that from us," She pointed between herself and Elena. "Because Tyler…Tyler."

Stefan looked between Elena and Caroline. His girlfriend seemed proud that Caroline had finally cottoned on to what she was thinking. He just wished they clued everyone else in. "What about Tyler?"

"I wasn't just saving Bonnie." Elena shot Damon a withering look. "I was saving Tyler."

"God, she never would have forgiven us." Caroline mumbled.

"What the hell are you two talking about?" Damon demanded. "Why did Fido need saving?"

"Grams loved to tell the story, you might have known that if-"

"Elena." Stefan's voice was quiet but firm as he tried to ease the tension between his girlfriend and brother.

"When Tyler and Bonnie were babies, Mrs. Lockwood brought Tyler over because he was sick and she was feeling overwhelmed. Grams was one of Mrs. Lockwood's professors and they were always kind of close I guess. So, while they were there, Tyler was screaming his head off, and Grams was trying to calm him down. Bonnie's mom brought her over." A sad, wistful, smile touched Elena's lips. "Grams would say the instant Tyler laid eyes on Bonnie he stopped crying."

"We all use to laugh and tease Tyler about it." Caroline added.

Elena nodded her agreement. "Still we chalked it up to Grams being Grams."

"And a little drunk." But there was no malice in Caroline's comment. She smiled as she said it, missing Grams and who they all were. It seemed like a lifetime ago.

"But when you consider how they are together, everything we know about how they feel about each other." Elena turned to Stefan. "They were babies, just babies, and they've been glued at the hip ever since. Do you really think Tyler would have been able, or even want, to go on without her?"

"That's why he was so calm, so okay with all of this." Caroline explained. "As far as he was concerned he and Bonnie were going to be together regardless."

Damon stopped his pacing just behind Stefan's shoulder. The way the brothers stood, the way they both frowned, they may have never looked more alike.

"Are the two of you," Damon's frown gave way to a highly amused smirk which turned into a full on grin. "Are you two seriously trying to imply that Tyler would have killed himself if Bonnie died? Seriously, all of a sudden they're Romeo and Juliet."

"Nothing sudden about it."

She wouldn't allow him to touch her, insisted he stay at least an arms length away. Her shirt was stained with Elena's blood, body tucked into the corner, her eyes shut tight.

"You should have left."

"Well…" Back against the wall, Tyler slid to the floor. "You knew that wasn't going to happen."

"I can make you go away."

"You wouldn't."

"Stop it." The words thundered out of her, causing the door to slam shut and the wood to splinter. "Stop trying to act like something isn't seriously wrong, that things aren't different between us now."

"How? I'm a werewolf, Bonnie. You're a witch, I'm sorry a witch-vampire hybrid. It doesn't change-"

"It changes everything!"

Tyler moved closer, as calm as she was frazzled. "I love you. That's never going to change."

That wasn't fair. Wrapping her arms tight around her knees, Bonnie wondered why he just couldn't be _fair_. "What if I stop loving you? It could happen. According to Stefan and Damon, I could cut it off. Shut off my emotions until I feel nothing at all."

Tyler was quiet as the reality of that hit him. And it hurt, but it wasn't an unfamiliar pain. It was one he knew all too well. "Last year I wanted to ask you to homecoming. I was _going_ to ask you to homecoming. It's so lame, but I just knew that if we went together we'd _be_ together, you know." He moved so that he was sitting even closer to her. "The night I came to your house, do you remember, I climbed into your window while you were on the phone with Elena. You were telling her how Pete Godley had asked you to the dance. You told her you didn't know if you were going to accept or not."

"I was hoping you would ask me."

"Didn't know that, not at the time. Just like, the night we kissed, I didn't know you didn't have feelings for Jeremy. All I knew was that I loved you, I was in love with you, and you would never feel that way about me. I was convinced I didn't deserve to have you feel that way about me. It hurt to look at you, hurt to even be around you, but it didn't change the way I felt." It would be different, knowing now what it was to be loved by Bonnie and to have her feelings suddenly change. Worse, he thought, much worse than it ever had been before. But he knew what it was like to love her, knew how to love her, knowing she didn't feel that way in return. "Nothing is ever going to change the way I feel about you, Bunny."

"I just want to go on record saying I think this is a bad idea."

"Fine," Damon smirked. "We'll put it right under the record of you and Elena having the single worse ideas ever."

"Not ever." Bonnie mumbled.

Stefan thought it may not have been the worse idea ever, it sure as hell was going to the biggest pain in the ass. But Bonnie needed to learn and he needed Damon's help to teach her. "Can we start. Or do you two want to bicker some more?"

It was full dark out, the moon hidden behind clouds, and what little light did escape wasn't strong enough to break the tops of the trees. Stefan wanted Bonnie to learn to use her senses. They tried to start her out slow, in the house, but all she'd been able to hear, smell, or see was Tyler. Which is how he ended up here, miles into the forest with two sulking vampires. Bonnie because she'd been dragged away from Tyler and Damon because Bonnie had to be dragged away from Tyler. Stefan wondered if the day would come when he'd stop being punished.

The last few days had been…strangely familiar. Familiar if you didn't count Bonnie speeding all over the manor, or answering questions from a different part of the house, or drinking glasses of blood. Other than that, he'd walked out of the shower two mornings in a row to find Bonnie lounging in his bed with Elena. Or having to hunt Elena, Bonnie, and Caroline down.

Stefan didn't know what Tyler said to Bonnie, didn't know how he got her to come out of her cell. Part of him didn't ever really care. He was just glad to see _Bonnie_. Not the scared girl, the newly fed vamp, or the guilt ridden hybrid. She had smiled at him, rolled her eyes at Damon, and even though things were forever changed. He was glad that Bonnie wasn't forever lost to them.

Now it was time to get to work. Things were too quiet for too long and Stefan had a feeling they had played right into Klaus' hands when Bonnie was turned.

"Did you feed before you came out?" Damon glanced over to Bonnie, but her attention was focused elsewhere. "Witch!"

"Damon," Bonnie flinched as Damon's voice seemed to vibrate off her eardrums. "What?"

"I asked if you've fed."

"Yeah," Bonnie answered absently. "Do you think they're safe?"

"Bonnie," Stefan began quietly before Damon could make the situation worse. "We need you to focus."

"I am."

"On us."

"Alright, fine." She knew they were right. They'd given her time, let her get use to her situation, the least she could do is give them her attention now. "Sorry. Lead on."

They went at it for hours. Bonnie never wavered, never complained. Stefan was impressed by how quickly she was picking things up. Truth was they were out a lot longer than necessary and he'd picked up on his brother's need to keep Bonnie away from Tyler and to himself just a bit longer.

"Very good, witch. Let's just hope the next thing you hesitate to sink your fangs into something it scurries away as well."

Bonnie scrunched her nose up at the thought of draining a mouse. "I thought you testing my reflex's not my instinct to kill."

"We're testing everything, now get your head in the game."

"So, freaking, annoying."

Stefan and Damon both grinned at the barely concealed comment.

"Don't you think she's had enough for one night, Damon." Stefan was actually beginning to get a little antsy about being away from the house for so long now. So many things could go wrong so very quickly. He thought now they were just testing their luck.

"Not until she finds that mouse and brings it back."

"First of all I'm not a barn cat, I'm not _fetching_ mice. Second, there's no way I can find that same mouse again. It's been a long night, Damon, let's just go."

"No," The voice came from somewhere with the trees. "You all should stay."

The only way Elena could think to describe the way Tyler moved across the room was prowling. And at one point she would have sworn he sniffed the air. She'd never seen him like this. Usually, the days leading up the full moon, Bonnie kept him close to her. To be honest she didn't know how Bonnie did it. Tyler was barely recognizable to her, more wolf than the boy she knew. And somehow that was more disturbing than when he was actually the wolf.

"Something's wrong."

Caroline looked up from the magazine she was pretending to flip through, her eyes going immediately to Elena.

"She seems fine to me." Elena answered. "Tyler, use your link."

"Okay," Caroline tossed her magazine aside. "Can you not say that like you're asking him to use his words. And Tyler, can you-"

"Care." Elena warned. Prodding Tyler now would only lead to trouble.

"I don't know how you guys don't smell that."

"Smell what, Tyler?" But Elena was suddenly hit with a wave of panic. Before she could fully grasp it or even say anything, Tyler was moving faster than her eyes could see. Grabbing her and Caroline by the arm he shoved them behind his body just as the manor door flew open.

"You've made things so convenient for me."

Katherine stepped slowly into the clearing, pale face so much like Elena's Bonnie wanted to be sick.

"I'd hoped you would."

"I think you may have overshot your goal this time, Katherine." Damon's voice was smug even as his stomach clenched. Three of them and he was still counting the number of vampire's Katherine brought with her. "She's a Bennett. You know their power."

"I knew _Emily's_ power." Katherine gave Bonnie a pitying look. "She's know Emily."

"You're right. I'm not." Bonnie's head came up, just a quarter of an inch, and fire sprung up just outside the clearing. Screams filled the air.

Katherine looked duly impressed. "Maybe you're not. But I'd bottle that rage for now if I were you. Another little outburst like that and I'm wearing your wolf as a hat."

"You can't get to him."

"Of course I can." Confident, Katherine began to approach them slowly. She spoke to Bonnie but her attention was focused entirely on Stefan. "My people have the house surrounded. They don't need to be invited in, just set fire to the outside. Don't you watch _Angel_, Bon? One strike of a match and we have your wolf, Stefan's little substitute for me, and the other one. Now you come with me and all of that can be avoided."

Knowing, when it came to Tyler or herself, just who Bonnie would choose, Damon stepped quickly in front of her. "I'm going to rip your heart out."

"Aw," Katherine gave him a condescending smile. "Of course you will, precious. Bonnie, shall we?"

"Why are you doing this, Katherine?" Stefan demanded.

"Because Klaus doesn't know when to call it quits. It's time for a shake up at the top of the vampire food chain."

"Fine, but why involve her." Stefan stressed. "We have nothing to do with a war between you and Klaus."

"Sure you do, when you're sitting on a Bennett witch. She can open that tomb, a tomb containing a great number of vampires not particularly happy with yours truly. Klaus gets your little half-breed to open that tomb after he tosses them a couple useless citizens of this town, they're going to come after me."

"Don't really see the downside to Klaus' plan, Kat." Damon smirked. "Don't really see a downside to any plan that ends with you dead."

"He's gonna kill you, too, you know." And she seemed to take great pleasure in telling him that. "He doesn't like you, Damon. He thinks you're reckless and foolish."

Damon rolled his eyes. "And he shared this information with you when?"

"Never." It was Klaus' turn to step into the clearing. "But she's right. I am going to kill you. Just like I killed everyone of Katherine's little minions." He smiled a cold, deadly smile. "Hello, children. Let's play."


End file.
